Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-05-28
Engaged by Telephone.

~ appears, ooy Vic A'cW vi N LII
bune, that there is young lady liv-
ing in Detroit who for some time has
been the recipient of the attentions of
two young men, one professor in the
State University at Ann Arbor, and
the other travelling salesman for a
New York wholesale hardware house,
whose route extends through Mich.
gan and parts of Canada. One day
last week the New Yorker arrived in
Detroit late in the afternoon, and, of
course, Immediately started making
the rounds of the retail hardware
dealers, with the laudable purpose of
selling each a good stock for the win
ter before the representative of any
rival house should put in an appear
ance. He had hoped to call on the
object Of his affecsions in the evening,
but business was good, and 8 o'clock
found him busy trying to induce a
Woodward avenue dealer to take six
dozen axes, four dozen grindstones,
and a,half car load Of wooden pals.
At this stage of the proceedings a
younger brother of the young lady
dropped in to buy new jack knife,
and mentioned casually that that the
Ann Arbor professor was up at the
house. 1t instantly occurred to the en-
terprising hardware and cutlery sales
man that the professor had come for
no other purpose than to lay his heart
at the feet of the young lady he him
self adored For moment there was
struggle in his breast, but he speed.
lily got control of himself and decided
that he could not possibly leave the
store, as the dealer was just on the
point Of deciding to take the pals.
But the thought of giving up the lady
who had been for months constantly
in his mind, waking and sleeping, was
unbearable. Light suddenly dawned
on him. Handing the dealer circu-
lar explaining the merits Of his new
double-bladed chopping-knives, he re-
quested the use of the merchants tel
ephone 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 profess
sor had been there for an hour talking
pleasantly of the grand educational
work they were doing in the depart
ment of fossilology at Ann Arbor.
When the bell rang, the lady's father
being absent, Che was a physician,
she excused herself and went into the
adjoining room to answer it. The
professor heard her step to the tele-
phone and say "Yes," make short
pause and say "Yes" again. Then
there was short pause and he heard
her say; "Why-why-really, this is
sudden" Then there was longer
pause and he heard her say Eyes, F."
softly, then "Good-by," and she hung
up the receiver and came back into
the room. The professor moved closer
to the fire and remarked that it was a
chilly evening, and he thought it was
going to snow, and then resumed his
talk about the great work at the uni
versity. Fifteen minutes later there
was ring at the front door. bell. The
lady answered it and district mes
singer 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 ques.
ton this evening. Excuse me for
putting it bluntly, but will you be
my wifer But we need 60 no fur
ther with this. Two minutes later the
professor went down the front steps,
shook his fist at the telephone wire
and took the S:45 train for Ann AR.
Dor r.-Ex.