The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-05-02
ONCE KEPT A DAIRY
BY KENNETH JONES.

VNCt kEf r. UAlh1
By KENNETH JONES.
Why are you 20 worn and weary.
looking?" inquired the little stenokra-
pher % she turned toward tho book.
keeper and scrutiniSed him carefully
before opening her desk for the day.
did you ever keep . diary1'' asked
tho bookkeeper by way Of reply.
':Oh, you poor mani" exclaimed the
little stenographer. understandingly.
Some ono found it, Of course"
He nodded and sighed.
"Of course. I might tzy to comfort
you by saying We all learn by expert
ence and there's nothing that time
doesn't heal and such things, but
won't. It's Ill Just 20 much rubbish
to tho person you try to comfort. So
I'll just admit that its . perfectly Az.
ful scrape. I can go that some one
has found It who oughtnt to know"
my kid brother" explained the
bookkeeper. laconically.
what! Al bad - that!'' exclaim-
ed the little stenographer, horrided.
IT'S ono I kept quite . while ago.
and I'd forgotten It," began tho book
keeper. Frightening up at the prospect
Of unburdening his mind and gaining
sympathy. Il noticed for two or three
days that Bill was grlnning at me in
q mysterious way and this morning he
made known the secret. He found
it In an old coat pocket up in my
closet. used the pocket a. q hidins
place, and haven't had that coat out
In ages to 30 through the pockets.
you see." he went on, II kept that
diary when had an awful case Of I'M.
dying love for = girl, and, of course,
It's al about her. When SEQ her
coming now make 4 bee line for the
next corner and turn tho other way.
Why. never even want to meet any
one with her hrst name. But my
present feelings didn't influence what
I wrote in that diary-not q bit!
when 1t happened was ashamed
Of going with any girl and kept 1t
all Z secret, telling tho folks ut home
that was going to be out with some
OF the fellows when went to see her.
And ~ the diary wasn't dated-for
considered that unnecessary-there's
no proof that tho whole thing isn't OF
present standing!
Bill called me- aside today and
whispered audibly. 10 the whole fam.
lily heard: Have you written in
your diary this morning?' When ]
looked my surprise-for, of course, the
truth didn't dawn on me for 4 sec.
ond-he lar ghed and pulled out the lit
tie red leather book! That brought
1t all back with lightning speed. Then
ne dart',d out Of the door before ]
could get hold OF him.
THE family began to make inquir
les. Soon Bill put his head in 1t the
window and said he wanted to speal
to me minute. When refused he
called out: oh. we'll, I'll Just read
page from this little red book to
amuse the family So he began ia
shout some silly trash about Mildred
rushed out hurriedly to buy him of
But he won't be bought of. That
Is, not once for all. He demanded 81
this morning. because his roller skate.
need to be put into. condition. I've
| always thought 10 cents too much 70,
him, 30 you can imagine that the dol
lar came hard! But he wouldn't part
with the book, and although l begged
him all morning until I left to give II
to me he simply thought up schemes
for levying blackmail.
Il don't dare thrash him and take
away the book. because he's quoted
10 much OF 1t from memory that
know e's got it all BY heart, and he'd
repeat It with interest If given half q
chano. II he did. Of course. couldn't
dtspr We 1t. without showing the orig.
inal!
AMI to think It was about Mildred!
Why. she's putty.faced and has the
o1suosition Of poodle, and she hasn't
any more style than . bag Of pota,
toes. and-oh, she's absolutely the
limit! Bin would 90 and read the
whole thing to her In q minute II he
took the notion. don't know how
I'm going to exist! I'm totally In hin
power, ana it means bail games even
when I have previous engagements!
1t means taking him along in the eve.
pings II he wants to 90! It means q
thousand trials that will make death
blessed thing to contemplate!
why on earth do people make
such fools Of themselves! What good
old 1t do me to keep that horrible
diary, anyway? I never read it over;
ana 1t makes mo hot to think Of the
good summer hours I wasted writina
the stun just to amuse Bill"
But why don't you let him do his
worst?" asked the little stenoxrapher
It'll only make Mildred know you did
care once-and she knows you don't
now. And you don't care II your fam,
NY knows that you've got over you.
1oolishness!"
Yes" bitterly responded tho book
Keeper, and Bill would hesitate onl,
about five minutes before he'd take II
over to Grace. and. then
OH" The little stenographer shool
her head. perhaps you'd better hur
~ and elope with Grace" she sur
gested ~ she began cleaning tho KEY
OF her observation-disclosures Daily
News.
Stone Microbes,