The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-10

tu0 pl0lnSmau neTltaSe. Inc WOrQS
tumbled over each other as If the
speaker had no choice but to give
them utterance. "An day I've been
fighting. It has been that craving
against my ambition and-and I had
strangled it. or thought so. till you
came with your talk Of freedom" Her
voice broke. but she held her head
proudly. Later she must yield to
the food of emotion. now held in
check; it was the bitter price that
she must pay for victory. tangible in
her letter to, Windmere. but not until
she was alone
suppose the man you marry can't
understand that sort Of hunger-has
never felt it? You might blow your
brains out some day when the fever's
ont"
Thrusting her chair abruptly back.
Millicent stood a little behind him.
where he could no longer watch her
face. When she spoke it was with
an effort, her tone showed strain.
II never should have allowed you
to rake up the past today" She
dropped her chin upon her arms.
crossed on tho high back of his chair;
she stared, dry-eyed. into the glowing
Goals. Mother was always ambi-
tious, even when we lived in a cabin
and she did the family wash. She's
the same today, only instead of
money she Graves position and power.
Got so much for herself as for me,
and-within certain nmits-she has
made me like herself. She dragged
me at the heels Of society until she
compelled recognition. In return she
asks only that l marry we'll. That
letter would have paid my debt to
her" She broke into an almost
hysterical laugh. Mother failed in
her generalship when she admitted
you today, for-with you here. sum-
moning up pictures of the past-I
can't do it,"
You don't object If smoker"
Rising abruptly. Adam selected a
cigar, and the hand that held the
match was unsteady. The girl, hav-
ing risen. also watched the Pickering
flame, hands clasped before her.
You, with a thousand moods a day,
how do you know that this will last?"
The brutality of the question
whipped the girl to fury. Catching
up the letter she tore 1t, shred to
shred. by this and this" she
cried passionately. flinging the frag-
ments into the flame. Then, empty
hands spread wide, she turned from
him. suddenly weary of controversy.
Now go, I shall not marry Lord
Windmere"
The hands Of the clock having com.
pleted the circle, its silvery gong
struck five. Within the hour Rowe
had made good his boast, but some
thing in the girls attitude spoiled the
flavor Of success"
Until you put that letter into my
hand had no notion the fellows
claim was so pressing" he said
tersely. you see. the girl we've been
talking of could give herself for moth
ing less than love. And I had como
here. free, for the first time. to speak
plainly. Your attitude seemed t. say
that time for discussion was past, so
Il made time-I stole an hour-set
your clock back! But If you regret
your decision. it's not too late. Send
you letter to the train. it will catch
Windmere all right"
please CO." repeated the girl wear.
lily. I'm tired-and mother will
have to be told"
Il said we should discuss matters
concerning US both. can't go till
I've said my say. Luck has stood by
me. thought it's been touch and go
with most of us on the street these
last few months. But I'm out OF the
woods now, and I'm going to take a
long vacation"
The girls lashes flickered: other.
wise she did not stir.
I'm going back to our hills aud
plains; l want to take you with me"
At last, when she was OF guard.
the only vital issue between them had
taken form. Always, forming the
background of her life, she had dis.
cerned Adams love. Yet, wit. q
woman's weapons she had avoided
recognition of it between them, since.
once acknowledged, it could only be
a struggle to the death between it
and her ambition. Yet, TOW that he
had broken down her barriers, values
seemed different, life less complex.
You don't guess how far I've
grown from our old life"
Nor do l care, girl-girl! It's
years since the child gave her prom.
Use to the boy; need the man wait
longer for his Wife?''
Slowly her wavering eyes were
drawn back by his, filled with in
articulate love and worship, and the
blood leaped in her veins as she sur.
rendered herself to his arms. AS
they closed hungrily around her it
seemed as If she had been waiting
for this moment always. though she
had not known.