The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-03-28

I
lessly on the far end Of the bench.
recognized her instantly: che had bean
one Of the salient features OF my child
hood, only little further removed
than my mother herself. She was florid
in her October years; twenty years
ago she had been plump and pretty:
now she was only pretty plump. But
q rolltcking soul beamed from her
kindly eyes. SO bethought me Of
the slipper, dragged it forth, rose and
approached.
Madam" said gravely, ARE you
Cinderella?" U.s. ~. :
She balanced her lorgnette and
stared. first at the slipper, then at me:
Young man, don't be silly. Do l
look like woman who could wear a
little thing like that? Run along with
you, and don't make fun OF poor old
women. If there Is any Cinderella
around here I'm only her godmother.' -
For moment st4tod abashed.
Here was one who had Outlived van
ity, or at least had discovered its
worthlessness.
"Have you no vanity, madam" I
asked solemnly.
IF have 1t has ceased to protrude.
Go and give the slipper to footman,
and don't keep some girl hopping
around on one foot"
I was almost tempted to tell her
who was.
Madam. there was a time'-I be-
gan.
"Oh, yes; thirty years ago I might
have claimed the slipper; might even
have worn it."-complacently.
please permit me to conclude:
There was time when you held me
on your knees
'What?"
1T is indeed So
Confess, then, that you were prop.
erly spanked. Heavens and
earth, wherever did you come from?''
she exclaimed suddenly. "Sit down be-
side me Instantly" And she called
me by name.
1t was the third time I had heard 1t
that night. l had heard 1t so infre-
AA~ANAJ AAdI AAACN Luo 6Ouuu VI IL.
And 1t Is really your pushing me
off at arms length the better to oh.
serve the changes that had taken
place. "You grow more like your "a
Their; if YOU hadn't that beard you
would be the exact picture of your IA
Their when he married your mother.
Oh. what pretty wedding it was!"
Il shall have to take your word for
it. was up and about, however, at
the tin anniversary"
Il remember. Oh, but what q
racket you made among the pans!"
She laughed softly at the recollection.
Il was properly spanked that night,
I admitted
And straightway We uncovered
thirty and twenty years respectively.
by the way" said I carelessly, lis
Nancy Marsden engaged to be mar.
ried?"
Nancy? She never will be, to my
idea. She recently turned down real
duke; a duke that had money and
everything"
And everything; is that castles?"
I inquired.
''Nonsense!"
well, between you and me and the
gatepost, Miss Nancy win be engaged
within two months"
INTELLECTUALLY.
1T IS written"
"And to whom, pray?'
IT'S the woman's place to announce
an engagement. But know the man. "
He is worthy?"
"Oh, as men CO."
Then the water-clock in the fountain
struck twelve, and l sprang up
Mercy, I'll never find any Cinder.
ella at this rate. All is lost il she e.
capes me-"
I kissed her hand gratefully, and
made off.
Immediately ran into young miss
who, Judging from her short dresses,
was guest on sufferance, not having
come out" yet.
Are you Cinderella ?" I asked, with
all the gravity could assume.
THANK you. sir, but mamma will
not permit me-" her cheeks growing
furiously red.
passed on, willing to wager that
the little girl had understood me to
| ask her to dance with me.
How l searched among the young
| faces: many saw that knew, but my
| COMPOUNDED beard (Which l deter
mined to cut the very next morning)
hid me as completely as the tabled in.
visible cloak. l wondered where Jim
was-Nancy's brother. 1 had seen him
in Europe, and knew if he were any.
! where around there would be one to
| clap me on the back and bid me vel.
come home. This prodigal business
isn't what it's cracked up to be.
Somehow felt that within 4 few days
I should be making love again to
Nancy; and may truthfully add that
l dreaded the ordeal while l courted
It.
What If she refused me in the end
I cast out at once this horriflc thought
as unworthy man Of my address.
Under the stairway there was coy
corner. Upon the cushions l saw 4
dark-haired girl in red. Now, when
they haven't a dash Of red in their
hair like it in their dress. She was
pretty, besides; so stopped.
Pardon me, but won't you tell me
if you are Cinderella reproducing
the slipper.
II am."--she said with an amused
! smile.
! Then, there is a Cinderella, after
| all 2n I criod i0ufnllu ssYIZhoro a.a III.