The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-10
The Stolen Hour:
By ETHEL HARRINGTON
Copyright 1870 by Associated Literary Press.

The jeweled clock chimed five. MIL
ncent True touched the bell. Her de-
cision was final. There remained
only the task of handing the missive
to tho servant, who would deliver 1t
to Lord Windmere. From that mo-
ment she would become the afianced
wife of the English nobleman. Hear
Ing steps. Millicent. without turning.
held out the letter.
See that it goes at once!"
lis 1t so very Important"
At the voice. SO entirely different
from the ono she expected, the girl
sprang up. "Oh. Adam. I'm glad
but first must dispatch my note"
About to restore the letter 50 oddly
thrust upon him, Howe's eye fell upon
tho address. Let US talk first" he
suggested. coolly; there's plenty Of
time"
Barely sufficient; It's already
I've. His lordship remains at his club
till six, when. should there be no mes
sage. he starts on his deferred trip
to California. Why doesn't James
comet"
ALLOW me-" Rowe 4eisurely crossed
to the mantelpiece, his gaze lingering
on the girl. tidying papers in her
desk. Suddenly bending above the
clock. his broad shoulders masking i:
from view. he remarked, Five, you
said? Your clock says four"
Il can't be Mistaken" In the
act of consulting her watch she was
arrested by an exclamation from her
guest, whose sleeve had brushed
roughly againsts statuette. prompt
ness alone on his part saving it from
destruction. Millicent shuddered In
mock relief.
To-day is my lucky day." he as
sured her. Il feel capable of miracles
even Of convincing you to my way
OF thinking. Come" Half jocularly
he pushed a chair before the hearth,
then set another for himself. Hands
thrust deep in his pockets, he nodded
toward the clock. For one hour we
will talk"
And the subject?"
Everything that concerns you
or me-"
She studied him from the corner Of
her eyes, contrasting the fine pro-
portions of his musuclar frame with
tLat Of Lord Windmere, to the lat
ter's disadvantage. Il am a head
taller" she thought. experiencing q
quick sense Of repulsion.
Rowe smiled quizzically. You
approve of me physically? Good"
Il was not thinking of YOU"
so? was-about you. Who
would have dreamed that such q
scrawny kid could develop into the
beauty you are now. No offense-
looks being your second biggest az
set in the game you're playing"
you are coarse: won't be talked
tr sol"
After today, maybe, shan't care
T. talk to you at ALL"
You remember tho creek where we
flshed az youngsters?" the man de-
manded. irrelevantly. And the day
you insisted on crossing the slippery
log alone. and tumbled INF"
Millicent laughed softly. Il can
see you now, with your torn cap.
your Knockers rolled up and your
homemade rod. l thought you aw.
fully brave when you pulled me out
two feet of water. wasn't it,"
But think of the reward you
promised.
children make pie-crust prom.
ises!"
Just 50 you remember. that's ALL
Adam stretched his long legs to the
blaze and his companion, conscious
of his slightest movement. felt a half
frightened resentment at the power
Of her old playmate to crowd out all
other personalities from her thoughts
I'm thinking Of the night you
told me Of your fathers first big sue.
cessful speculation 1t was raining:
we were In the best room, abomina,
Bile stuffy because rarely opened
Your life was changed by that deal
just as the mountain stream Is
changed when 1t falls into the river
1t became merely a question Of time
before you would reach the city tc
be engulfed."
You thought it would make diff
ference in our friendship, but"-al
nose wistfully she touched the arm
of Rowe's chart HASN'T"
1T has" The mans tone struck
back harshly. Had we stayed ont
there in the foothills you would never
have known about society, or the
magic of g title dangling like a scalr
at the belt of your wealth. Life
might have meant work, but 1t would
have meant freedom Think of gal
Looping over the rolling plains, the
soft grass flying from the horses
heels, the wind in our nostrils-th<
width of the sky above-just We
two"
stop! Sometimes the long'ns
makes me mad-it seems as If
-