The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-11-30

Perhaps some of the blame should
lest upon the barbaric habit of hav-
Ing Sunday dinner in the middle of
the afternoon
Had it been evening when Hawk
lbs and his better half sat down to
dinner with us, it would not, naturally,
have been daylight; and much unpleas-
antness might have been avoided, for
remodeled Hawkins residence, and an
inspection would have been impos-
sible
Again, may have started the trou-
bic myself by bringing up the subject
of the renovations.
Yes, the works all dOne," said
Hawkins, with more genial air than
he usually exhibited when that topic
WAS touched Il tell you, it's model
home now"
Particularly in containing no new
Inventions by it's owner added Mrs.
Hawkins.
oh. those may come LATER said
the gifted inventor, casting compla-
cent wink in my direction.
Not if have anything to say about
II, replied the lady, rather tartly. I'VE
Escaped with our lives when the house
was wrecked, but next time
Madam fared Hawkins, If you
kueW what that house"
Just here my wife broke in with
spasmodic remark enent the doings Of
TIE Russians in Manchuria, and dis
cussion OF the merits of Hawkins in
vsntions was happily averted.
But the spunky light didn't die out
Of Hawkins eye. He appeared to be
nursing something beside wrath, and
when we arose from the table he re-
M;'rked shortly:
Come up to the house. Griggs, and
smoke cigar while we look it over"
And note the charm of the inven-
tIoriess home,'' supplemented his
Wife
'Inventionless fiddesticl1." snapped
Hwkins, as he slammed the door be-
hind us. Its wonder to me that
women weren't created either with
sense or without tongue
made no comment and we walked
X: silence to the Hawkins house.
IT had been done over in a style
which must have made Hawkins bank
account look like an Arabian grain
field after a particularly bad locust
year: but beyond noting the general
beauty OF the decorations, found
nothing remarkable until we reached
the second floor.
There, as we gazed from the back
widows, it struck me that something
familiar had departed, and asked:
whats become OF the fre-escape?"
Don't you see, eh?' said the in
ventor, with proligiOusly mysterious
smile.
Hardly. Have you made 1t invis-
1ole?"
No and yes" chuckled Hawkins.
What would you say, Griggs, to a fire.
escape that you kept indoors until it
was needed?"
Il should say nay, nay if anyone
wanted me to use it,
NO, mean-On, come upstairs and
III show you at once
Show me what, Hawkins?" I cried,
de1aining him with firm hand rs
il another continuance? Has it a
motor? Does it use gasolene or gun
powder or dynamite?'
NO, it does mott" said the inventor,
gclffly, trudglng toward the 1OD OF the
house.
THERE" he exclaimed when we had
reached the upper floor That's it.
What do you think of it?'
It was device OF strange appear
aEce. 1t seemed to be huge clothes
basket, such as is used for transporter
ton of the family wash and it was
piled with what appeared to be the re-
mains of as many white sun-umbrellas
rs could have been collected at half
dozen seaside resorts.
What is it," I said, with a blank
SMILE junk"
NO, it's not junk. That mass OF
ribs and white silk which loks like
junk to your unaccustomed eye const1-
tutes a set Of aeroplanes or WINGS"
But the other thing is merely the
common or domestic variety of wash
basket, is it not?"
"Well-er-yes," admitted Hawkins,
with cold dignity. THAT happened to
be the most suitable thing for my pur-
pose in this experimental model. Now,
you see, when the wings are spread the
basket is suspended beneath just as
TIE car of balloon is suspended from
4 gas-bag, and
Aha! l see it all now" l cried.
You fill the basket, point it in the
right direction, and it flaps its wings
and flies away to the washlady!'
That, Griggs," sneered Hawkins, "is
about the view poor little brain like
yours, permeated with cheap humor,
would take. Really, I don't suppose
you could guess the purpose or the
name of that thing = you tried a
week."
stCan6idlv 6On,t think oo,,l3