The Virginia enterprise., 1906-03-02
How. Bertie Was
i. Rescued
BY JOHN WORNE

Bertie and Eva sat at the breakfast
table, and the sun shone in from
across the sea onto the breakfast al
which Bertie and Eva sat.
They sat not at opposite ends OF the
breakfast table, as might have been
expected, but side by side, at the same
end.
Fer whole week now they had held
each others hands and looked into
each others eyes.
In fact, it seemed for the time being
as if all we're over and they we're on
the point of living happily ever after;
which is popularly supposed to be the
inevitable consequence of marriage.
What shall we do to-day, dar-
ling?" said Bertie.
Dearest" said Eva, ''let us walk
along to the cliffs and back before
lunch"
Sweet said BERTHE. We have
walked along the cliffs and back be-
fore lunch every day since" we. were
married; and it has never occupied
more than half the day. IS -
1T is a heavenly walk, love-. g" 9. &c. &c., "a
"Adored one, there is no walk like
it,
This is just the way they talked
continually. except when the servants
were in the room.
After breakfast they sat together IN
he sunshine, thinking of walking
along to the cliffs and back before
lunch
Darling, hope you will forgive me
il I mention a matter of which l have
been intending to speak for some
days."
TO speak for some days! Will 1t
take so long,"
Intending for some days to speak.
We must not. be captious about words.
The matter is this The day before we
married you promised that after mar
riage you would give up smoking"
She pouted. 81 never promised any
thing Of the kind, and you know !
didn't mean it seriously"
But I consider It," said Bertie,
very important indeed"
He lit second pipe, and spoke re-
fectively through the clouds.
Smoking" he said, "is a beastly
habit, and should be the exclusive
privilege of the finer creature-man.
Smoking
Pass the matches, DEAR" said Eva
He hesitated for moment, and then
was firm. "No," ne said. Il object
on principle. I exercise my marital
authority"
She said nothing, but took from her
belt little silver match-b box and lit
another cigarette.
Every WE'LL" he said. you defy
your husband
She made no attempt to deny it.
1T is an awful thing to do" he
went on, land may compel me to take
steps,
What steps,"
Drastic steps,
ITO the cliff and back?"
Madam said Bertie, rising and
looking fiercely down upon her. Il am
not one to be trifed with"
This is much funnier than walking
to the cliffs and back before lunch, -
said Eva.
"Is it," said BERTHE, a particularly
feeble reply, though indignant. Every
WE'LL"
And he walked off.
Eva sat unc.ncerned, waiting for the
steps to be taken. But she threw
away the nasty cigarette as soon as
h0 rf %h1S
serious quarrel since marriage, and
Correspondingly important.
She thought little stroll to the
cliffs and back before lunch would be
no bad thing. Besides, it would be a
new experience to do it alone So she
started out.
1t was a lonely piece of coast. No hu-
man being was in sight. She was
alone with the elements, thinking the
thoughts which they in their grand
eur inspire.
Such as: HE is pig or II won't
give in this time
AS she clambered up to the high
ground where the path lay along the
edge of the cliff, she heard a faint
"HalloO' floating from affair."
1t was BERTHE, and he seemed to he
somewhere on the face of the cliff.
This was alarming. She crept out as
near as she dared to the edge, and
remembered local legends of land
slides and sudden endings-
"Bertie, is that you?'
HALO! Who's there?"
Il am, dear. Is there anything
wrong? Are you hurt?''
NO." he shouted; I'm all right.
Where are you?'
She dropped on her knees and looked
over. She could catch sight of a
small piece of him way down.
Thereon ledge; I've stuck"
Cant you get further DOWN."
mo; it's sheer drop of several
miles,"
Have you tried coming up?''
Its no good; got here easily
enough, but there's no way back
why did you go there?"
ITO see if could"