The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-23

before. 1t is perfect likeness. And
isn't he handsome!" Her woman's
delight In masculine beauty would
crop out even in these grim circum-
stances.
The doctor stood q moment in
thought. His face was serious.
Madam" he said, at length, "let
me tell you short story. Once two
very young people, a boy and girl,
scarcely done being children, senti-
mental and high-strung, fell in love
see the possibility of this thought in
their faces, as you can in the faces
OF so many young enthusiasts. It was
not an uncommon thought So one
night they lay down on their bed and
ne, putting the revolver to her heart,
Kissed her passionately, no doubt, and
nred. The muzzle of the weapon was
so close to the mark that the robe
sne wore was burned. She died in.
stantly, without pain, heavenly
smile on her pretty, trustful, young
lace. Then, trembling with terror at
"nat he had done, the boy resolutely
turned the pistol against himself, but
missed vital spot. The shock of the
bullet added to his terror, and half
insane, he sprang up, clapped on his
hat through force of habit, and dashed
from the house.
For some reason, perhaps because
ne saw persons approaching, or sud-
denly realizing the condition of his
dress, or more likely because the
open air of the wide world gave him
a feeling of desolation greater than
ever, now that she was no longer by
his side, he turned almost immedi-
ately and rushed back to the house
where the body of his loved one lay.
He had no key, but the night being
very hot the window was raised, and
easily reaching it from the steps he
craWled into his room, mechanically
and married each other under diff
culties of some kind. Probably the
chief difficulty consisted in the fact
that the youthful bridegroom's fam
lily objected utterly and with finality
to the match, and cast him off for
consummating it, for it was easily to
be seen that the girl was of social
sphere very different from his. There
was one relative, perhaps a sister,
who pitied him, and visited him
once bringing money, which his
pride would not allow him to
accept while his adored wife re-
mained unrecognized, and so the rela-
tive, after weeping out her pity and
anection In his arms, went away TAX
ing the rejected offering with her
And they needed it very much. Proud
with inherited pride, with no money,
no profession, no trade, unable to
fight the world with any chance of
success, through his youthful ignor-
ance and sensitiveness, yet thinking
it absolutely necessary to keep up
appearances, he finally, after year
of failure, disappointment and per-
haps some downright want, having
pawned all their valuables, came to
the agreement with her that it would
be infinitely better for them to die to-
gether than to attempt to struggle
any longer in the cold world with no
happier prospects than theirs. It would
be beautiful to die, both of them
at the same instant, and remain in
peace and great love together there
after through all eternity. You could
closing and fastening the sash behind
him, and collapsed on the sofa. One
of the boarders had seen him come up
the steps, and on account of the loose
flowing pajamas had mistaken him
for woman. The same boarder had
also in the excitement he was labor
ing under, placed the sound of the
shots he heard after, instead of be-
fore the entrance of the person he had
observed. The hemorrhage from the
boy-husband's wound, being mostly
internal, left only a few blood drops
here and there, which escaped the
eyes of the police; but one investi-
gator discovered them at once by aid
of magnifying lens, on the steps and
on the window-fastening where"
Mrs. Philpots, whose eyes had been
growing wide with horror as under
standing crept in upon her, exclaimed
in faint voice at this point and
sank upon a chair.
"B-but," she stammered, "he said
thfef-and he called him coward"
Having no settled course of action,
Mortified by the realization Of the
crime he had committed, his sensi-
tiveness, even more than his lack of
brute courage, filled him with an
awful fear of detection, he said what
ever promised to send investigation
astray 1t seemed easy to charge the
deed to an unknown thief. In reality
he had nothing worth stealing but
bundle of pawn tickets in bureau
drawer. Despising himself for his
failure to follow his wife at all costs,
it was at his own head, not another's
that he flung the epithet Of coward"
The boarding mistress sat weeping
softly into her handkerchief. The
ache at her heart was so great that
she could not speak.
II have told you this story" con-
tinued DR.. Furnivall, "in order that
l might ask your advice. It is true
story in all the essentials, you may
rely on it. Now suppose that wom-
an we're suffering persecution from
the police on account Of that foolish,
very human boy-husband's crime?
Would you, knowing the truth, advise
that woman to send me to force con-
fession from him on what might be
his death bed, in order to stop that
temporary persecution"
Mrs. Philpots flung her handker-
chief to the floor with tragic gest-