The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-05-12

A0"A0AS0 OAOu9AI ~ al OaSA W A00s
Say, John, he has the most marvellous
capacity I ever heard tell of. Oh!
how my head hurts, and fee! SO sick!
I found the door locked and I'm afraid
l broke ono of the windows before
got out. Is Aunt Martha worried
about me?"
opened the salve box and Gained
him down. mot a soul is wise," !
explained Just tell them you were
detained at the race track looking
over some horses that you suspected
were not being treated humanely, and
that will square you, sure"
John, my boy!" Uncle Peter muir.
INJURED as we drew near the door.
you've saved my life and I'll not for.
get it,
The prodigal was warmly vel
coined. The explanation of the cause
of his delay was eminently satisfac.
tory to all concerned and Joy would
have gone into the leigning business
then and there had not the rural mes.
senger boy butted in with telegram
for Aunt Martha.
| Busy Bunch!
Aunt Martha opened the message
and read it with wild-eyed astonish-
ment Then she looked neryously at
poor Uncle Peter and handed the wire
to me. Read it aloud!" she said.
1t was dated New York and read as
follows
Mrs. Peter Grant.
Doves Nest Villa, Ruraldene, N. Y.
Am unexpectedly detained at big Wai-
iorf banquet Of Ban!:ers' al; and Brokers
will keep on dry lana. Terrapin ducks
and wild game flying around the room,
but owing to my dyspepsia will stay on
~" prune wagon. Am Down for speech
! till morning train. May telephone you
later. Good night. PETER.
When l finished tho reading Uncle
Peter crouched down in the arm chair
and looked like eighty cents in bor-
rowed money In his dazed condition
he firmly believed himself the author
of that awful telegram, and he await
ed the final blow in trembling silence.
l was getting the ran off the fire to
tOOh ny oO1uC h41lu VI q oLdAO'OA III
the battered old man when suddenly
the telephone bell in the hall rang
and Aunt Martha answered it.
YES" she said in the phone.
what? Yes, this is Mrs. Grant!
! What! Oh! OH" she screamed,
dropped the receiver, and rushed back
into the sitting room.
"Oh! OH" cried the old lady, "a
man on that telephone said, is that
you, Martha? Well this is Peter! Are
you all right, my dear?' Oh! oh! Am
losing my senses?"
Clara ]. tried to calm her while l
| jumped to the phone. Like light
ming it flashed over me that this was
more Of busy Bunch's work in his ef-
fort to square Uncle Peter, who. now
sat doubled up in the chair watching
us all with eyes like saucers.
"Eello!" I said over the wire; who
Is this talking?" and then Bunch's
voice came back to me- This is Peter,
Uncle Peter"
l put my hand up to the transmit
ter and whispered, "Cut it out, you
dam fool, Uncle Peter is sitting in the
next room!" and then l heard Bunch
yell, Jumping Bceswax!" and drop
the receiver. l knew he was running
like a whitehead.
Then l continued over the phone
loud enough to be heard a mile,
whats that? Who? You claim to
! be Peter Grant! You scoundrel!
know your voice; you are Barney Sui
livan, and you're trying to blackmail
my generous, peace-loving uncle!
What! Louder! What! Well, you
can't pull that on me. Mr. Barney Sui
livan. You wanted to get up a mys-
| terry in our quiet family and have
some OF us pay you money to explain
I'm on! That telegram gag didn't
work, Mr.. Sullivan! Just because my
uncle was kind to you-what! Why,
I'll have you pinched for this! Oh, go
to the devil; my uncle isn't afraid OF
you! Back to your kennel, back! Lie
down, you bad dog" and with this
hung up the receiver with a crash.
NAOOA W. OACAC CLSI, 6dlu 8S
l went back in the ROOM Those race
track rail birds try to work fancy with
good people every once in while, but
| spotted Mr.. Sullivan all right. ]
knew his voice in minute You cant
trust those ducks, but threw, scare
into him that burnt his chin. He
won't bother you again."
Uncle Peter arose shakily from the
chair and when he turned to me no
ticed that his eyes were damp.
1--WE had hard day." he said:
goodnight, John, and God bless
you!"
Clara J. looked me straight in the
eyes as Uncle Peter went to bed, but
my headlights never flickered.
Copyright by G. W. Dillingham; Co..