St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-11
The Drummer Was Busy, but He
Got Ahead of the Professor.

The Drummer Was Busy, but He
Got Ahead of the Professor.
New York Tribune.
There is a young lady living in De-
trOit who for some time has been the
recipient of the attentions of two young
men, one professor in the state uni
verSity at Ann Arbor, and the other
travelling salesman for a New
York wholesale hardware house,
whose route extends through Michi-
gan and parts of Canada. One day last
week the New Yorker arrived in De-
tr0lt late in the afternoon, and of
course Immediately started making the
rounds OF the retail hardware dealers,
with the laudable purpose of selling
each good stock for the winter
before the representative of the
rival house should put IN an appear
ance. He had hoped to call on the OBJ
ject of his affections in the evening, but
business was good and s o'clock found
him busy trying to induce Woodward
avenue dealer to take six dozen axes,
four dozen grindstoneS and half car
load of wooden pals.
At this stage of the proceedings a
younger brother of the young lady
dropped in to buy new jackknife, and
mentioned casually that the Ann Arbor
professor was up at the house. 1t in
stantly occurred to the enterprising
hardware and cutlery salesman that
the professor had come for no other
purpose than to lay his heart at the
feet OF the young lady he himself
adOred. For moment there was a
struggle in his breast, but he speedily
got control of himself, and decided that
he could not possibly leave the store, as
the dealer was just on the point of de-
Gliding to take the pals. But the
thought of giving up the lady who had
been for months constantly in his mind,
waking or sleeping, was unbearable.
Light suddenly dawned Oh him. Hand
ing the dealer a circular explaining
the merits of his new double-bladed
chOpping knives, he requested the use
of the merchants telephone for five
minutes. stepped to it. and rang up the
central office.
A moment later the telephone bell at
the residence of the young lady rang
sharp and decisive. The professor had
been there for an hour talking pleasant
ly of the grand educational work they
were doing in the department of fossil
olOgy at Ann Arbor. When the bell
rang. Ilic lduy ldlllcT DCluS dUSellI (llo
was physician. she excused herself
and went into the adjoining room to an
swer it. The professor heard her step
to the telephone and say yes" make
short pause, and say "Yes" again.
Then there was silent pause, and he
heard her say, "Wny-why-really-
this is sudden" Then there was still
longer pause and he heard her say,
Yes" softly, then "Good-bye," and
she hung up the receiver and came back
into the room. The professor moved
closer to the fire and remarked that it
was chilly evening, and he thought it
was going to snow, and then resumed
his talk about the great work at the
university. Fifteen minutes later there
was ring at the front door bell.
The lady answered it and district
messenger boy handed her plain gold
ring, which she slipped on her finger
and returned to the parlor. "Miss -"
said the professor five minutes later, 81
want to ask you an important question
this evening. Excuse me for putting it
bluntly, but will you be my wife?' But
we need not go further with this. Two
minutes later the professor went down
the front steps, shook his fist at the tele-
phone wire, and took the 6:45 train for
Ann Arbor.