The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-01-11

Then wriggled frantically, and
something near me wriggled frantically
as well: Then one OF my hands struck
something that yielded, and there came
a muffied vOics from somewhere in the
neigh borhood.
'Griggs!" it said.
@ Eyes ?"
W-w-w--where are we? This isn't
the coal bin. Are you hurt?"
Il give it up. Are you?"
Il think not. Why, Grigs, this must
be one of the big coal carts!"
II shouldn't WONDER l assented.
vaguely.
"But-how-"
You: miserable coal-scuttle must
have stunned, us, picked us up and
dumped us in with the coal!" ex-
claimed, suddenly enlighted.
"Do-you-think," came through the
blackness. Huh! It's stopped"
For a long, long time, as it seemed,
there was silence. The weight of coal
pressed down until I was near to
madness. Hawkins was grunting pain
fully.
l was specializing as to whether he
was actually succumbing whether
could stand the strain myself for an
other minute-when everything began
to Slide The coal slid, I slid, Haw-
kfns slid-the world seemed to be
sliding!
We landed Hj'on the sidewalk We
struggled and beat and threshed at the
coal, and finally managed to rise
out Of it-pitch black, dazed and bat
tered.
And the first object which confront
ed us was the home of Hawkins! We
had been delivered at his door, with
the four tons OF nut coal.
They'll have to sign for us Oh the
drivers Slip" remembered saying
That person let of a shrek and
vanished down the street. Then the
door Of the Hawkins home opened, and
Mrs. Hawkins emerged, followed by
my wife,
That numerous things were said
need not be stated. Mrs. Hawkins said
most OF them, and they were numer-
Gus.
Mrs. Griggs limited herself to ruin
Ing $50 gown by weeping on my
coal-soiled shoulder as she implored
me never again to tread the same
street with Hawkins.
1t was a solemn moment, that; for
I saw the light. I realized how many
bumps and bruises and pains and duck
ings and screenings might have been
spared me, had taken the step earlier
But it is never too late to mend. Prob
ably had still a few years in which
to enjoy life.
I turned to Hawkins-a chopfallen,
covering huddle of filth, standing
upon two pearl-and-black legs-and
said:
Hawkins, when in the course of
human events it becomes necessary for
one man to sever those friendly bands
which have connected him with an
other, and SO to assume station apart,
decent respect for the opinions of the
latter usually make it necessary to- de-
clare the cause of that separation. 1t
is SO in this case. You know mighty
well what you've put me through in
the past. There's no need of going
into it.
But this Crano-Scale business is my
limlt-my outside limit went on,
''and you've passed it. If you ever at
tempt to address another word to me,
Or ride In the same elevated train, or
even sit in the same theater; Eli
have you arrested as a suspicious per-
son-and locked up for life, If money'n
do it! Hawkins, henceforth we meet
as strsngers!"
And Hawkins, piloted by the un-
happy woman who bears his name,
walked UP the steps, turned and stared
stupidity at me, and then stumbled into
the Eouse and out of my lffe-forever.
Copyright. 1906, by W. G. Chapman.)