St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-07-03
ditional degrees and walked half way

hiring his proves, "do tell me how
you do it. You belong to some circus,
of coursep'
"Well, not exactly. But it's mostly
practice. You see, I'm a skater, and
it requires considerable skill to balance
ones self on skates. And then I've
crossed several streams in this way
when l was boy
''Do you think | could do ita'' said
eager Marietta.
"You might, after a while. But l
don't know that l would advise you to
make specially of it. 1t would take
too much time
at looked so easy when Made
moiselle Saraletta did it, said Mari.
eta.
well, yes, of course assented her
companion. That's always the way
in this world. Things are very easy
until we attempt to perform them our
selves"
Marietta sighed. Then l may as
we'll hang out my Clothes" said she.
"Mother will be wondering where |
am
Cant I help youo' wistfully in
quired the Enchanted Prince.
'.Oh, certainly, if you wish,' as
sented Marietta.
In the meantime there was a high
council of state being holden in the
sunny kitchen of the Amber farm
house.
81 didn't mention it before Marietta,
my dear said Mr.. Amber, because
girls are so peculiar She would GER
tainly have made up her mind to disc
like him if she had known that he
came here in search of a fitting wife
to adorn his home.'
marietta knows very little about
housekeeping said the perturbed
mother.
ooh. she'll learn, my dear, she'll
learn said good Mr.. Amber. And
Mr.. Chesney occupies an excellent
chair in the Faculty of Desbroughton
College, and
Don't they all sit on chairs there?'
asked the bewildered matron.
my dear, you do not understand
me- explained her husband. "A
chair in college parlance signifies
professorship.
OH said Mrs Amber.
"He is very fine young man."
added her husband, land | shall feel
that our daughters future is quite Sc
cured if she once becomes his wife.
So | beg that you will charge her to as
sumo her most dignifed and lady-like
manner on being introduced to him.
A great deal, you know, depends upon
first impressions.
Eyes, of course said Mrs. Amber.
'She has gone to hang out the clothes,
but / dare say she will soon be back.
When do you expect this Mr.. Chesney?'
cat any minute now" said Mr..
Amber. He may arrive in the
Whistleton stage, or by the Rossburg
and Cremoyne Branch railroad. Or
he's great pedestrian, am told-he
may prefer to walk from the Adderley
boat landing
:.sOh, dear, oh, dear! I do wish Ma
rietta would come back" said Mrs.
Amber. There are the Strawberries
to be hulled, and the custard to be
made, yet. don't see what keeps her
50 long. Why, there she comes now
straining her eyes over the hill, with
a man walking with her. Who can it
be?"
'sIt's the professor, said Mr.. Amber,
whose spectacles were one degree more
powerful than those of his wife. "The
professor, as true as | live!"
And away Mrs. Amber ran to the
kitchen, to make sure that her dinner
was properly progressing.
"How ON earth did you get intro.
duced to him?" she asked her daughter.
as Marietta came, rosy and radiant,
into the room few minutes afterwards.
II wasn't introduced at ALL" said
Marietta. '9It was such fun! / was
trying to walk on tight rope, and I
down, and he came from the
brook and helped me up. And then
he walked on the rope, and"
"Mercy aliver' cried Mrs. Amber.
"What are you talking about! A col
lege professor walking on the tight
rope!"
is he college professorp" asked
Marietta, innocently. "But thought
college professors were very learned
men, with eyeglasses and bald heads.
And Mr.. Chesney can't be thirty, and
he is so very, very nice"
Mrs. Amber was too wise to say any
thing more just then. So she sent Ma
rietta up stairs to change her dress
and brush her hair.
'sI'm afraid the whole business is up
set" she groaned to her husband
when he came in.
And then she related the story of the
rope-walking experiment.
Mr.. Ambers face relaxed into
smile.
"My DEAR" said he, 'set your heart
at rest. The professor is delighted
with her. In fact, think he is more