The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-12-09

bitterly. "The very braZenness OF that
Emery Jarvis-to say that normal
minded girl shouldn't take such things
amiss. I'm sure no girl with common
sense would allow her f1ance to act in
glad it's all over" To prove this,
Ethel burst into convulslve sobs and
hid a flushed and tear-wet face in a
convenient pillow.
Weeks passed, but the two erst-
while lovers seemed hopelessly es-
tranged. Ethel made no attempt to
salve the wound caused by her letter.
nor did Jarvis try to explain away the
misunderstanding.
Gradually the gossips in the little
customed to the new order of things,
and everybody ceased to interest
themselves in the affairs of the young
couple.
It was a month after this that old
Polltt Che was portly butcher, own
ing the meat shop next to the drug
emporium) ventured to incorporate
something of a remark that caught
the youths puzzled interest.
What was that?" demanded Jarvis,
ears metaphorically a-cock. Just re-
peat that last sentence"
Il said," came from the butcher
that that there book I've been read
ing-'Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde'-re
minds me of your doings." He poked
pudgy forefinger playfully into the
ribs of the youth.
You'll have to be more explicit.
snapped the drug clerk Il can't I'M
derstand. What are you driving at?'
Cant understand. eh?" commented
the other. sourly. He was angry al
the tone of the lad. well, l guess
I can put it palmer, all right. I mean
that you tried to play double just like
that Jekyll-Hyde Teller did. Every
evening after you called on the CIR
you was engaged to, you went straight
to the house Of old Doc. Blyly to see
his daughter. My wife she seen you
do it time and again, she did,
The dull red stained the face of the
angry butcher. "She's the one that
put crimp in you, too. Ethel Muir
ray Is too fine girl to be galavanting
around with a young fellow that she
thinks thinks heap of her, and al
the while he don't, but Is making hel
out fool by sneaklng away from hel
house to call on another girl"
$50 1t was your wife that caused
this trouble between Ethel and me
was it? Pity she can't learn to attenc
to her own affairs, isn't it,"
The butcher, his mind relieved
stamped heavily out of the drug store
; but he left knowing youth behin4
him. Mrs. Pollit was a gossip monge1
| Of some notoriety In the community
She resided just opposite the BlylJ
home, and now that the Kate mea
man had given him his cue, Jarvi,
could understand many things.
That evening, his heavy jaws SCI
| firmly and his broad shoulders thrown
def1antly back, the drug clerk mount
ed the steps to the Murray home ant
rang the bell
Ethel answered the summons Al
angry flush dotted her cheeks wher
she saw who her visitor was, but EN-
DRY ignored these trouble signs, and
pushed by her and into the familiar
parlor.
Il am here to explain" began Jar
Wis. Mrs. Pollet's loquacious hus
band has just told things, and
think l understand"
II don't care for explanation" in
terrupted little Miss Murray formally
Nevertheless" persisted Jarvis, pa
tiently. you are about to receive
them. Listen, dear, have neve
called on Mile Blyly in my life-le
alone after left here. When you re
ferred to the skeleton In my closet,
took the phrase literally. There is
skeleton in my closet-a six-foot ske]
eton of man that DR.. Blyly loane'
me to aid me in my studies, because
we'll, I'm studying medicine with hin
you see. I don't want to be a drul
clerk all my life. l."
But here his late hancee, fac
asmile, interrupted his sentence in
very pleasing way.