The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-07-15
SNOWBALLS
BY Littell McClunG


snowballs, they rushed bravely on tho
ramparts of No. 80, waiting until thew
got within fifty feet before opening
fire. When they did fire the effect Of
their volleys was instantaneous. The
battle line of No. 80 weakened and
| Hanson, the leader, got back of the
throng in the rush.
AT them. boys! At them!" cried
Marchant, running toward his rival
general and firing at him with every
step.
One OF Marchant's shots struck with
telling effect, and Hanson went tum-
bling over snowbank. A lusty cheer
arose from the Latin school chargers
and they rushed up almost to the
enemy's fort.
Marchant lunged forward, deter
mined to hit his opponent again the
moment he staggered to his feet. He
! drew back his arm, and as Hanson
scrambled out of the snow he let go
a ball with all his strength. But the
icy sphere slipped from his fingers on
tangent and flew straight into the
| cheering crowd of spectators.
There was a scream. A young wDm-
| an fell to the sidewalk. Marchart ran
forward ard instantaneously the bat
tie ended, for some of the boys who
| had seen the accident knew that it
might be serious.
Everybody crowded around the pros
trate figure and Marchant pushed his
| way through the throng to behold the
silent face of beautiful young girl.
His SNOWFALL, which must have been
| as hard as baseball, had struck her.
All at once Walter Beale burst
through the crowd.
"She's my sister," he cried, drop
! ping to mis- knees over the PROSTATE
| figure. Some of you boys run for
doctor!"
While his classmates started in sew
! eral directions for physician, mo.
tor car came chugging up through the
snow. Marchant acted at once.
Quick! Help me lift her in" he
commanded to the several dozen
! frightened boys around him.
Instantly strong young hands lifted
| the unconscious girl into the automo-
| bile before the owner knew what 1t
was all about. Walter Beale leaped
in, shouting the number of his home
to the man at the wheel. Five min.
utes later physician entered the
| warm room where Ethel Beale lay,
still unconscious. He set to work at
once, for he realized that the case was
serious. Slowly the girl regained her
senses.
For a night the doctor worked with
his patient, and Marchant was beside
/ him most of the time, assisting in
every way he could. BY the next day
| Ethel Beale was resting more easily,
but the physician gave orders that
| there most be no excitement around
her, and that careful nursing was nee.
essary to her rapid and complete re.
| covery.
Day after day Marctant visited the
Beale shome. He began to look on her
as his" patient. He felt that nothing
he could do would make up for the in
jury he had inflicted by his reckless
ness. But she assured him that his at
tention and kindness had amply re.
paid her for her suffering.
Soon Marchant experienced q
change of attitude. Instead of being
sorry for what he had done he secret
ly rejoiced. Through the accident he
had come to know Ethel Beale. She
herself made life seem different to
him by gently limiting that Ill winds
often do blow up beautiful clouds.
A month later when Marchant pro-
posed Ethel accepted him. The wed
! ding took place in June.
| Come, let me show you the most
appropriate present I have received"
whispered the bride to her husband
shortly after the ceremony
She led him into the reception room
and pointed to the large table in the
center.
why, they're snowballs!" he ex-
claimed. What beautiful bunch!
Who sent them?"
"Who?" she echoed. why, who
but little brother Walter, of course!"
Trials Of Literature.
The stone age poet, mallet and
chisel in hand, was laboriously com.
| posing a sonnet, when the business
| agent of the stonecutters' union
, happened along.
Lets see your working card, old
man." said the agent briskly.
| "Forsooth!" haughtily exclaimed the
litterateur; why. I'm a poet-not q
! mechanic"
! well, you have no poetic license to
run an open shop" snapped the
union man, 80 if you don't want
your poetry boycotted. you'd better
stick to the thinking part of the game
and hire union s!"-1llus-
trated Sunday Magazine.