The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-12-16

a c1anc0<tO get WELL now nice ut
would -be!'-didn't your
Another nod.
WELL" I said, backing Munchausen
In a corner and dragging his medals
away from him, "that's the answer.
You for the Burbs! You for the cha
teau up the track! Henceforth, you
for the cage in the country where the
daffydowndillys sing in the treetops
and buttercups chirp loud from bough
to bought"
"Oh. John!" she exclaimed, faint
with delight; edo you really mean
you've bought home in the country?
How perfectly lovely! You dear, dear
old John! And that's what you've
been doing with all your money, just
to surprise me! Bless your dear good
heart! Oh: I'm so glad and so de-
lighted. Won't it be simply grand?"
could feel the cold, spectral form
OF Sapphire leaning over my left
shoulder, urging me on.
What is it like? How many rooms I?
Where is it, she inquired, all in one
breath.
Where was the blamed thing? What
did it look like? How did l know?
She could search me. l could feel my
ears getting red. Presently I braced
and mumbled, mo more details till
the castle is completed, then I'll coax
you out there and let you revel."
How soon will that be?" she asked.
'Tomorrow? Yes, John, tomorrow"
NO." 1 whispered croupily, "in-in
about a week.
I wanted time to arrange my earth
ly affairs.
"Oh, lovely" she said, and kissing
me rushed away to break the news
to mother.
l felt like a rain check after the
sun comes out.
Suddenly hope tugged at my heart
strings and 1 remembered that l had
a week in which to beat the ponies to
a pulp and win out enough coin to buy
six Swiss cheese cottages in the coun-
try.
Day after day I waded in among the
jelly fish at the track, but the best I
ever got was an So win.
Eight dollars wouldn't buy a dog
house.
I was desperate. Every evening I
had to sit around and listen while
Clara J. told Tacks or Uncle Peter or
Aunt Martha or Mother what she in
tended doing when we moved to the
country.
They had it all cooked up. Uncle
Peter and Aunt Martha we're coming
to live with us and Tacks would be
there to let us live with him.
Uncle Peter intended starting a
garden truck farm in the back yard
and Tacks figured on building a chick
en- coop somewhere between the front
gate and the parlor
Aunt Martha and Clara J. almost
came to blows over the question Of
milking the COW. Aunt Martha in
sisted that COWS are MIXED by ma
chinery, and Clara J. was equally posi-
tive that moral suasion is the only
means by which COW can be brought
to a show down.
In the meantime I was dying every
half hour.
Finally the day preceding the long
talked of country excursion arrived
and I began to figure on the safest
and least expensive methods Of sui
eide.
went to the track In the afternoon
and threw out enough gold dust to
int h1r f0
attic-but never sardine showed.
Frost-bitten and suffocatetd by the
odor of burning money, I crept into
seat in the car and began to plan
my finale.
Presently an elbow poked me in
the ribs and looked into the smiling
face of Bunch Jefferson.
Still piking, eh?" he chuckled;
you wouldn't trail along after your
Uncle Bunch and get next to the can
dy man, would you? Only $500 to the
good today. Am the picker from
Picklesburg, son of the old man Pick.
wick?-well, guess yes!"
Then in that desperate moment l
broke down and confessed all to
Bunch.
Then Bunch began to laugh-a long,
loud, discordant laugh which ended
in, John, I'll help you make good!"
and then l began to sit up and notice
things.
I'm away ahead of this pitty-pat
game at the merry-go-round," Bunch
went on, land it so happens that re-
Gently I peeled the wrapper of my
roll and swapped it for a country
home for my sister and her daughter.
She's a young widow, my sister is,
and one Of the loveliest little ladies
that ever came over the hill. And sh>
has a daughter that's a regular plate
of peaches and cream
Still l sat in darkness, and he went
on:
Now, my sister won't move out
there for day or two, so tomorrow:
promptly on schedule time, you lead
your domestic feet over the sandbars
to that house and point with pride to
it's various beauties you wise?"
But, Great Scott, man, it's not
mine!" gasped.
Roll small pill and get together"
admonished Bunch, with seraphic
smile. Cant you figure the trick to
win? All you have to do is to coax
your gang out there and then break
the painful news to them that you've
suddenly discovered the place is
haunted and that you're going to sell
IT and buy better bandbox- getting
wise?"