The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-21

| Van Rensselaer's conduct was from an
American point of view, nothing extraodln-
| airy. She persisted in declaring that such
goings on were not respectable, and that
| was bound, as an officer of the University,
| to remove the young woman at once from
| the eight-mile radius over which my juris-
diction extended. Ipleaded in vain that ladies
| in America always travelled alone, and that
nobody thought anything of it. Annie per-
| tnently remarked that that would be nice
| logic in New York, but that it was quite un-
Aristotelian in Oxford. "When your Ameri-
can friends come to Rome," she said coldly
las though I were in the habit OF importing
| Yankee girls Wholesale" they must 90 as
| Rome does" But when | at last pointed
ont that Ida. as an American citizen, could
| appeal to her Minister, if attempted to turn
her out, and that we might find ourselves
| the center of an international quarrel-pos-
| sibly even casuS beli-she finally yielded
| with struggle. For the sake of respecta-
| bility," she said solemnly, 'Pll go and call
| on this girl with you; but remember, Cyril,
| | shall never undertake to help you out OF
such disgraceful scrape second time.
| [ sneaked out into the garden to wait for
| her. and felt that the burden of proctor
| ship was really more than L could endure.
We called duly upon Ida, that very hour,
| and Ida certainly behaved herself remarka-
Div well. She was so charmingly frank and
pretty, she apologized so simply to Annie for
her ignorance of English etiquette, and she
was so obviously gui eless and innocent-heart-
ed in all her talk that even Annie herself
who is, must confess, typical don wife
was gradually Modified. To my great sur
prise, Annie even asked her to dinner en-
fdniLLe the same evening, and suggested that
should make an arrangement with the
Junior proctor to take my work and Join the
party: consented, not without misgivlngs;
but I felt that if Ida was really going to stop
a week it would be we'll to put the best face
| upon it, and to show her up in company
| with Annie as often as possible. That nigh t
Just conceivably take the edge off the keen
blade of university scandal.
To cut long story short, Ida stald her
week, and got through it very creditably
after ALL Annie behaved like brick, as
soon as the first chill was over; for though
she is married to professor OF dry bones
Comparative Osteology sounds very well,
but means no more than that, when you
come to think of it,, she is woman at
heart in spite of it ALL Ida had the most
winning, charming, confding manner; and
she was so pleased with Oxford, with the
colleges, the libraries, the gardens, the river.
the boats, the medieval air, the whole place
that she quite gained Annie over 70 ner
side. Nav, my sister even discovered incl
dentally that Ida had a little fortune OF her
own, amounting to some 300l. a year, which,
thonph il doesn't count much in America,
would be neat little sum TO man like
myself in England; and she shrewdly OBJ
served, in her sensible, business-like man
ner, that it would quite make up Tor the
possible loss Of my Magadalen fellowship.
am not exactly what you call a marrying
man-at least, know had never got mar
ried before; but as the week wore on, and
continued boating, flirting, and acting show
man to Ida, Annie of course assisting for
proprietys sake, began to feel that the
proctor was being conquered by the man.
| fell most seriously and undoubtedly in
love. Ida admired my rooms, and was
charmed with the pretty view from my WIN
dows over Magdalen Bridge and the beautl-
full gardens, and criticised my Botticelli
with sympathy. l was interested in her; she
was so fresh. so real, so genuinely delighted
with the new world which opened before
her. 1t was almost her first glimpse OF the
true interior Europe, and she was fascinated
with it. as all better minds invariably are
when they feel the charm of its contrast
with their own hurrying, bustling, mushroom
world. The week passed easily and pleas
antly enough; and when it was drawing to
an end, had half made up my mind to pro-
pose to Ida Van Rensselaer,.
The day before she was to leave, she told
| so determined to stroll down the river to
| Iffisy by myself in tug dingey'-a small
boat ith room in it for two, if occasion de-
mands. When reached the Ifiey Lock,
imag ne my borrow at seeing Ida III the
middle of abe stream, quietly engaged in
padding herself down the river in a canoe.
| ran my dingy close beside her. drove her
| remorselessly against the bank, a handed
| her out on to the meadow, before she could
| imagine what was driving at
ssNow Miss Van Rensselaer, 1 said,
| sternly, 'sthis will never do. By hercnlean
| efforts Annie and have got over this week
| without serious scandal; and at the last mo-
| ment YOU endeavor to wreck our plans by
| canoeing down the open river by yourself
before the eyes of the whole university.
| Everybody will talk about the Senior Proc
tors visitor having been seen indecorously
| padding about in broad daylight in boat
| of her own.
81 didn't know there was any harm in it,
said Ida, penitenty; for she was beginning
| to understand the real seriousness of uni
| versity etiquette.
'sWell,'' I answered, sit can't be helped
now. You must get into my boat at once
| I'll send one of Salter's men down to fetch
your canoe-and we must row straight back
| to Oxford Immediately"
s'She obeyed mechanically, and began
| to pull away for very life. There's moth
| ing for it now" I said pensivey, "except
| to propose to you. half meant to do it be-
| fore, and now I've quite made up my mind.
| Will you have me?"
| Ida looked at me withoutsurprisesbu with
| little pleasure in her face. "What nom
sensep' she said quietly. II knewyou were
| going to propose to me to-day, land so | came
| out alone to keep out of your way. You
haven't had time to make up your mind
properly, yet"
AS locked at her beautiful calm face and
lovely eyes TO got everything. In mo
ment 1 was over head and ears in love again
and conscious of nothing else. Ida"
| cried, looking at her steadily, ''Idap'
:sNow please STOP" said Ida, before l
could get any further. II know exactly
| what you're going to say. You're going to
| say, ida, love YOU. Don't desecrate the
| verb to love by dragging it any more than it
| has already been draggled through all the
grammars of every European language. I've
| corrugated to love, myself, in sEnglish,
French, German and Italian; you've conju-
| gated it in Latin and Greek, and for aught
| [ know, in Anglo-Saxon, and Coptic and
| Assyrian as well; SO now let's have done
with it forever, and conjugate some other
verb more worthy the attention of two ra-
| tonal and original human beings. Can't
you strike out line for YOURSELF"
you're quite Mistaken" l answered
CURLY, for wasn't going to be browbeaten
| in that way; "and meant to say nothing
of the sort What I did mean to say-and
| I'll trouble you to listen to it attentively-
| was just this: You seem to me about as
well suited to my abstract requirements as
any other young woman have ever IN t.;
and if you are inclined to take me, we might
possibly arrange an engagement
''What funny man you are" she went
on innocently. You don't propose at all
en- regIe iva had twelve men propose to
me separately in boat in America, and
you make up the bakers dozen; but all the
others leaned forward Enthusiastically,
dropped the oars when they were beginning
to get serious, and looked at me sentiment
tally; while you go on rowing all the time as
if there was nothing unusual in it,"
Probably" l suggested, 'yonr twelve
American admirers attached more impor
lance to the ceremony than | do. But you
haven't answered my question yet"
''Let me ask you one instead she said
more seriously. ''Do you think Pm at all
the kind of person for a senior Proctors
wife? You say suit your abstract require
ments, but one can't get married in the alb
stract, you know. Viewed in the concrete,
don't you fancy I'm about the most insult