The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-09-14

Her HR EE SlJITORS
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles3 T..

By GERALDINE KEMP

VNvvvIty VV'tFVvV'VT
seph B. Bowles.1
| take it. It Is all that concerns you"
And they parted.
Dovedale was q small and primitive
village, boasting OF no vehicle except
wheelbarrow and donkey cart. Con-
sequently Dan Courtney, on taking
leave Of his rival, set forth on foot in
the direction of Sweet Briar Farm.
Courtney encountered few folk on his
pleasant road to the farm. A couple
of farmers-a rosy-cheeked child and
an old woman were chiefly those who
crossed his path. The old men bade
him good evening; the little girl smiled
at him, and the old woman as she
passed let fall with a clatter the
bundle of sticks she had been gather
ing In the wood. She was very bent,
very gray, and very wrinkled; her face
encircled in big rusty black poke
bonnet. She was muttering and moan
ing strange things to herself as Dan
Courtney passed. her by.
But as her mutterings grew more We
hement, he halted, threw her coin
and s, passed on again.
Had he glanced round at the old
withered poke-bonneted woman, he
would have seen that tear had glis-
tened in her eye.
Il am very tired" she mumbled,
land the bundle is so heavy.
Permit me to carry it for you," said
voice, some minutes later in her ear.
Walden, for it was he, stopped and.
Notwithstanding her protestations.
raised the bundle to his shoulder.
where do you live?" asked Walden,
keeping pace with her feeble steps.
"Near the wood" came the high
pitched, sing-song reply. Near the
wood"
you are too old to work."
Bread must be baked and fires must
be made"
DO you live alone?"
Granddaughter Mary lives with me
now
Granddaughter Mary ought to as
sist you to gather the fuel for your
fire."
"Ma:y's young and goes a-sweet-
heartin'"
when you were young did you 60 a.
sweetheartin'
She nodded assent and hobbled more
briskly forward.
"Show me where your home u.s." he
said. Il should like to inform your
granddaughter Mary that it would be
more profitable to her if she cared less
for her sweetheart and more for her
grandmother
""Twould be little use,' quoth the
grandmother. "She's young and it's but
nat'ral."
Natural to be thoughtless 2" queried
the prince. "Have you ever been out
of Dovedale?"
She shook her head.
Then Dovedale is your world" He
drew, long, long breath, as though
the idea was sitting.
-Four walls and bread to eat, a hus-
band, and children to rear" cried she
What more do a woman want?'s -.
"And you have been happy?'
Never so happy as now!" exclaimeo
clear, ringing voice, and before Wal
don could recover from his astonish-
ment' the old dame, with a truly mar
Vicious agility, had vanished whittier
he could not say.
"Phrygia!" called Walden, finging
the sticks into a hedge and following
the narrow side path Phrygia must
have taken. At the end of the path
was small wicker gate, and passing
through it Walden came unexpected
ly upon a low, matched, rose-covered
cottage.
After waiting several minutes the
door opened and some one came swift
| ly towards him. No other, indeed, than
Phrygis-no longer wrinkled, old and
bent; but in her most captivating of
summer attire; the simplest of hats
upon Ter bronze-gold hair, and the
daintiest of blue ribbons around her
slender waist. .
miss Dean," exclaimed Walden,
bowling low, when will you cease to
be everything that is bewildering and
enchanting?"
+: INF; Waldon," answered Phrygia,
with responding obeisance, when
will you learn to be anything but chiv'
alrous and manly? What have you
done with my kindling wood?"
II threw it away to follow you"
ITO follow me?" -
ITO the end of the world" he added
earn estly.
She ooquetted moment with he1
ribbons and laces. 49,. 80, <.
"Mc. Courtney must have arrived al
the farm by now" she said. II hope
Lavinia will entertain him nicely
Shall we not go to Sweet Br1ar, too =
Walden hesitated. *~s
ION one condition." he said.
(Which is -"
"That Dan Courtney returns to town