Tombstone daily prospector., 1891-02-18
ENGAGED BY TElEPAONe.N
Tine Professor Popped the Question Jus,
 a Few Minutes Too Late. (

lew Minutes Too Late. q
 IL appears, says the New York Trib- une, that there is young lady living in Detroit who for some time has been the recipient of the attentions of two young men, one a professor in the State Uni versity at Ann Arbor and the other . travelling salesman for . New York wholesale hardware house, whose route extends through Michigan 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 laudabls purpose of selling each a good stock for the winter before the representative of any rival house should put in an appear ance. He had hoped to call on the ob- ject of his affections in the evening. but business was good, and eight o'clock found him busy trying to induce . Woodward avenue dealer to take six dozen axes, four dozen grindstones and half carload of wooden pails. At this stage of the proceedings a younger brother of the young lady dropped in to buy a new jack-knite, and mentioned casually that the Ann Arbor professor was up at the house. IL instantly oc- cured 10 the enterprisiRg 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 cOGtrol cf himself and decided that he could not possibly leave the store, as the dealer was just on the point O: deciding to take the pails. But the thought of giving up the lady who had been for months constantly in his mind, waking and sleeping, was un- bearable. Light suddenly dawned on him. Handing the dealer circular ex- planning tho 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.
 4 moment later the telepbone-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 ot fossil ology at Ann Arbo-. When the bell rang, the l2Gy's father being absent (he was physician), she excused herself and went into the adjoining roou to an swer it. The professor heard her step to the telephone and say Yes" make a short pause and say Yes" again. Then there was a short pause and he heard her say: ''Why-Why-rCally, this is sudden Then there was sill longer pause and he heard her say Yes" soft ly, then ''Good-bye," and she hung up the receiver and cane back into the room. The professor moved closer to the fire and remarked that it was a chil- ly evening, and he thought il 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-bClL The lady an swered it and district messenger boy handed her plain gold ring, which she slipped on her finger and returned tc the parlor. Miss -" said the pro- lessor, five minutes later, 'I want to ask you an important question this evening. Excuse me for putting it bluntly, but will you be my wife?" But we need go no further with this. Two minutes later the professor went down the front steps, shook his fist at the telephone wire and took the s:i5 train for Ann Arbor.