The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1908-04-17
A Spurned Country Rose
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. COZ
BY Sherman. A. Paddock

Copyright, by Da
John Crownhart.. like many Other
young men, did not like to write let
tiers. It was nice to receive communi
cations from his friends, but answer
ing them was an entirely different
proposition. %i,y5&:">
But when he landeHinsa small Wis
consin town on a Few days outing
he made up his mind to put his good
intentions into active operations. He
did. Before he had been there many
days he found both the time and the
inspiration. Here is an extract from
one of the first letters, written to an
old college friend:
love, but she is pretty girl. Quite
the most stunning ever saw. don't
know as that is exactly the word,
either, for stunning usually is applied
TO some society miss, and she most
decidedly isn't one of that kind. The
object of my alteration is tall and will
1owy, with jet black hair, and black
eyes that seem to hold a fathomless
mystery in their shining depths Her
perfect features beat anything Robert
W. Chambers ever even attempted to
describe in his most fascinating love
tales, and she has a complexion such
as one reads about in the soap adver-
tisements. but seldom sees.
1T was as near case of love at
first sight as anything I ever saw.
First, there was an all-poWerful mag
netic attraction, springing, I suppose,
from her supreme physical loneliness,
and then, when I came to know her a
little better. it seemed a veritable
communion of souls. She is as sim
nle as a sack of sugar, and yet you
cannot help feel in her presence that
she has more genuine intellect than 95
per cent. of our city club women.
The funny part of it all is, she is
an innocent little country maid I'm
agine me. John Crownhart, of Chicago,
falling in love with one of that style!
She has almost no knowledge of the
city and it's ways. What knowledge
she has Of the world was obtained en-
tirely from books, which is pretty
bum secondhand method, when it
comes down to cash basis.
1T all came about this way. was
feeling blue around the gills, and
hfked out into the country to fish a
little and see II the fresh air wouldn't
straighten me out. l forgot l was
sick after l saw the girl. am stop.
ping at an old farmhouse, many miles
out of the regular summer travel
There isn't another city chap in the
neighborhood, or girl either, for that
matter. All Of them are country rus
tics, and not bad sort at that.
meet some souls here as straight as
ever fitted from cold piece of clay
in city mansion, even if they aren't
polished until the brass shines
through.
This divinity is one of them. If
any polishing should be done it would
bring out gold of Sc carat quality. if
gold runs that high, which, come to
think Of It, I guess it don't. All the
country pumpkins are clean daffy over
her, and don't blame them a Bit
Patricia, that is her name, is a
hired girl in one of the farmers
homes. She is from a neighboring vii
lage, and has been on the job about
six months. 1t was rumored around
that she was engaged to a grocer in
her native village, but the fellows
don't place much stock in the story,
even If the girls do boost it with all
the energy at their command.
II met her on the road the first
time. as was plodding along toward
the farmhouse with as nice i string
Of fish as you ever laid eyes on.
was 50 surprised that l stared at her
like country Jay viewing a city sky
scraper for the first time. 1t vas posi-
lively rude. She blushed, dropped
her eyes, and hurried past. l found
out who she was, and was a little dis
appointed at the intelligence, but
made up my mind to meet her, any
way.
AFTER that first accidental meeting
I made 1t point to attend all the So
cial doings in the village and tribu-
tary country. took in three or four
church socials. without success, and
then ran across her at Sunday
school picnic. Imagine me at one!
Huh! But you bet l got the desired
Introduction, and after that it was all
plain sailing.
II took her out driving, boating, to
dances, called on her in the kitchen
where she works, was later promoted
to the front parlor, and have had a
nice, ten-cent novel sort of a time out
of it altogether The thing has run
along now for week, and am get
ting daffier and daffier. l can see the
girl has it little bit herself, too. I
am different from her regular associ.
ates, and she kind of looks to me for
diversion. Will you be best man, old
fellow? Yes. 1t really is as serious as
that. She's pure gold, and l need her.
haven't popped the question yet,
but it's got to come soon. l am almost
sure of her answer.