The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-03-01

merlng water OF the pay and the man
and the woman in it seemed more |
occupied with their. own thoughts |
than with each other-although the
girl, it might be noted, ever and anon
gave the man covert glance from
beneath the long lashes, as though
she were trying to read something
in his gloomy face.
Beautiful cruise, this" he grunted
presently, making several vicious
lunges with the paddle.
THE day could not be more per-
fect," she replied, with that feminine
substitute for sweetness which savors
so much of gall and wormwood.
He swept the canoe along with
strong, measured strokes for several
minutes, the strength of his strokes
being reflected in the savage firmness}|
of his lips.
tongue-tied you may take me home"
she said, presently, pulling her shape
ly hand out of the water, where it had
been trailing idly. II will try to find
deaf-mute to take me out next time
just for sociability's sake.'
Silently he turned the bow Of the
craft toward the shore, then pausing
with the paddle resting across his
knees, he looked at her steadily and
said:
Look here, Ethel, what has hap
pened since Wednesday? For the past
three or four days stone wall seems
to have arisen between us. What is
it? Tell me. For heavens sake, let
us have some sort of an understand
ing. If I have done anything to dis
please you, let me make amends.
Only tell me what it is all about
You seem to have something on
your mind yourself" she replied.
Nonsense" he replied, sternly. Il
am as / was week ago, but do not
seem to be able to get within gun
shot of you. Now demand to know
what is the matter"
ooh, do you, indeed?" she replied,
sweetly. "Quite dramatic, isn't it,"
He plunged the paddle into the wa
ter again savagely.
There's that lovely new electric
launch of O'Brien's just going in.
do wish you would take me down to
the Point in it. They are going to
have lovely supper and dance
there tonight
He looked at her with mingled re-
proach and dignity.
"You know perfectly we'll that
O'Brien charges 81 an hour for the
launch" he replied, "and that I could
not afford to hire it for two hours
to say nothing about the eight or ten
it would take to go to the Point and
hold it over tile dance. Besides, the
supper tickets for tonight are IS each.
You forget that I am only a lawyers
clerk, although you said you under
stood it perfectly when you accepted
my ring"
"That's right" she replied, looking
him coolly in the face. Il did forget,
and beg your pardon
II see it all clearly now," he broke
out passionately. "You are tired of
being tied to poor man and want
your freedom. was a fool to think
that a gixl like you could be contented
to be tied to poor devil on a salary
Of SIS week and only the prospect
ahead of being admitted to the bar
after a time and then only a chance
OF establishing a practice.'' And he
dug the paddle into the water with a
vim that sent the little craft. spinning
shoreward.
"That is all very fine talk" she re.
piled. what does it mean?"
1T means that thought we could
get along very happily until got my
admission by being frugal and your
helping some at first, as you said you
intended to, by sticking to your type
writing" he replied. But perceive
that the glamor of the world has pos
sessed you. Well, be it so. God
knows 1t has been the dream of my
life, but can see it is over now and
I give you back your freedom" The
paddle bent under the desperate en-
ergy Of his strokes.
The girl looked him squarely in the
eye and slight sheer played over her
mouth.
"You really should go on the STAGE"
she replied, "and I would suggest
melodrama. do think, however, that
you should have given me credit for
more of a sense of perception than
you did"
He paused and glanced at her in
open-mouthed wonder.
What do you mean?" he asked.
Il see it all very plainly now" the
girl went on. you have had your
summers fun, and the summer being
about over, you now want to free
yourself of the responsibilities of a
seaside filtration and go back to the
city and brag about your little con-
quest. Do you think it quite gener-
GUS, however, to throw the RESPONSE
'bility of the parting on me? Possibly
you mean it to be delicate way to
soothe my pride-but the work is too
coarse, sir. Well, accept the situa-
fion and dismiss you and return you
your ring"