The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-01-19

strate that parry to your entire satiS"
faction" ::
sss You understand" she said, smiling
for the first time, that I am rot
given to little jokes. I@have pair Ut
excellent swords, but If you prefer to
select your own"
81 shall be quite satisfied" ! said;
''but about the feathers?"
1.-THE gentleman with the scissors
may keep them as souvenir" And
she swept down the aisle and went in
at the stage-door, behind the pros
cenium boxes.
j I believe I've taken up this letter q
dozen times.
There's the most awful coming and
going in this house. The door-bel;
does nothing but ring, and while
mamma has refused to see anybody,
and the reporters can't get beyond
Ludwig, there are condolers like Mrs.
Sprague Winter, and the flowers Otis
worse than funeraD that we can't
turn away, and I'm sitting up here
in my room in disgrace that is thou
sand times worse than death.
wish I could hear from you. It
was last evening that l telegraphed. l
don't suppose there is anything you
could telegraph except that you love
me, ard | don't suppose it would oc-
cur to sou to do that.
Crawford of the fencers has just
written to me. He is such trump.
He says it's burning shame it has
made such = stir in the papers, but the
club Is prold of me.
But l have not told you about the
duel. At little before the time ap-
pointed, met Herbert just hurrying to
the theater. He led the way into the
stage entrance-how dreary it isl
and the doorkeeper told us that Miss
Wilmot and Mr. Qitmore had not
come, but if she was expecting us we
might go in and wait with the others.
What others?" asked Herbert, sus,
piciously.
The others Miss Wilmot was ex.
pecting," the doorkeeper said.
Il don't like the look Of this" sale
Herbert. Il guess you had better wait
until l go in and see what sort of q
reception Miss Wilmot is giving"
But l can't wait out here" said.
I'm sure I'm invited
So we both went in.
Stan, they were all reporters,
Then Miss Wilmot and Mr.. Ditnors
came. He was carrying the swords
and a suit case, and Herbert mad the
case in which had brought my things
from the fencers. We all bowed. l
felt horribly foolish. Then Miss Will
mot went to her dressing-room, and
had one assigned to me. I began to
feel guilty. I wasn't afraid Of Amy
Wilmot, but of what my family would
say if they ever found out.
1t didn't take me any time to dress,
and yet Miss Wilmot was ready before
me. Herbert and Mr.. Ditmore were
measuring the distance and testing the
swords; and at last Mr.. Ditmore hand
ed them to me to choose from. took
one at random, and he offered the
other to Miss Wilmot. 1t seemed that
he was to conduct the duel, OF which
l was very glad, for he knows all about
the etiquette of such things, and I'm
pretty certain that Herbert doesn't.
"Ready?" said Mr.. Ditmore, holding
the points of our swords. He looked
from one to the other Of us. Ready"
we said. Then he released our sword
tips and stepped back.
From that moment every thought OF
nervousness left me. felt perfectly
at home. The back of the stage was
filling with people, and realized that
it must be time for rehearsal. It
came to me vaguely that this crowd
was just what she had been waiting
for. I did not see them, and yet it
was a sudden fancy of a resemblance
to you among them that caught my
attention for the fraction of mo-
ment.
She took the opportunity to make a
"coup fourre," which parted just in
time by dropping ny hand and chas-
ing her point. Then placed my point
at her heart. I did it so easily and
coolly that I drew it back little, so
that she would not run on it. But
there it was, for an instant, for all to
see. I had not so much as scratched
her velvet jacket, and she must have
known that I wouldn't dream of hurt
ing her; but however that was, she
gave one cry, that will ring in my ears
to my dying day, and dropped to the
floor, her sword ringing as it fell be-
side her.
If it was meant to call attention to
herself from my own victory, it was
done with a quickness of wit that
shows that she will be great actress
If it was real fear, it played her a
splendid t,es2. I ran to pick her up
ard a half dozen others with me, and
when we lifted her she was as white
as my handkerchief; but she smiled
at me and put out her hand, and said
with perfect show of self-possession:
81 SEQ you arr round to have your
little joke"
That's al, Stan. Herbert and got
out, and the rehearsal took place Al
10 nothing hod hannona6 ovcent thai