Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-08-06
LOVE VERSUS SCIENCE.

country SchOOl-hOuSo on Il central I'LL
nois prairie.
1t was Friday afternoon and school
was out for the week. The youngsters
had gathered their books fled out of
the door with a whOop, and were on
their way home. Some of the older
pupils had fingered to discuss the alb
surdity of proposition laid down by
the schoolmaster in the little talk with
which he was accustomed to wind up
the exercises Friday afternoons, when
the program of speeches and ''cOm-
positions" had been finished. This
proposition or statement was to the eff
feet that two straight lines could APP
proach each other forever without
coming quite together. He had made
this assertion incidentally, without
stopping to demonstrate it. and with
all their reverence for his superior
knowledge they couldn't swallow it.
Hiram Walker. the young man who.
for consideration of $35 month and
the privilege of .boarding round
among the families represented in his
school, had been imported from an
Ohio college to teach the early central
Illinois idea how to shoot, was APP
parently absorbed in the work of
arranging the books and papers of
his desk preparatory to locking them
up. Apparently he had forgotten that
he was to spend the coming week with
with the family of Farmer Sanford,
whose eldest daughter, Mary, was the
brightest, smartest, prettiest girl in
in the whole school. and that it was
his habit to begin his week of board
ing Friday evening. He did not seem
to notice that Miss Mary was prepar-
ing to slip quietly out of the door.
Yet he was not SO deeply occupied
with his books and papers that he did
not hear the subdued comments of
the incredulous big boys and girls con-
corning the two straight lines always
getting nearer and nearer to each
other and yet never coming together.
He listened With faint suggestion of
smile on his face to the words and
fragmentary sentences that reached
his ear, and went on arranging his
desk.
Presently he took from it's inmost
recesses big oblong ball Of Irvine,
such as kite-hying boys are wont to
make by winding it criss-cross on a
stick of wood, put it in his pocket, and
closed the desk with a slam.
by the way. Miss Mary" he said
to Farmer Sanford's daughter after he
had shut and locked the door of the
schoolhouse and found himself, APP
parently by accident, overtaking her,
II am to be a boartler at your house
for the next week, if l am not mis-
taken"
Yes, SIR" replied Miss Mary. look
ing straight ahead.
This fact being logically established,
Mr.. Hiram Walker took from his
pocket the oblong ball of Irvine.
Now, Miss Mary" he said. with
the manner of a man bent wholly on
demonstrating proposition in mathe-
MATES, iii you doubt that two lines
can approximate each other forever
yet never coincide, l will prove it to
you"
Il didn't say l doubted it. Mr..
Walker"
but you do doubt it."
How do you know?'
by the twinkle in your eyes"
She looked straight ahead again.
ut may be all true according to
science and the books" she said, but
it doesn't seem possible that it can be
SO, actually and really"
This ball OF twine," the school.
master went on, belongs to Tommy
Flanders. He was playing with it in
school and l had to take it away from
him. He can have it again next week,
but in the meantime am going to use
it to establish scientific fact
He picked up bit of wood, tied the
loose end of the kite string to it, drove
it into the ground at one side of the
smooth road and walked along on the
other side, unrolling the string as he
went.
Now. Miss Mary" he resumed.
''you walk in the wagon track on that
side of the road and will walk on
this"
The road from the school house to
the Sanford farm dwelling stretched
! across the level prairie almost as
straight as rule. Mr.. Walker, by
accident, it seemed, had taken so much
time preparing to demonstrate his
scientific fact that the sun was getting
low and nobody was in sight
You see. Mary" he said, tina,
this Irvine, as l travel along in this
track, is drawing all the time closer tC
the line represented by the track on
your side. don't your"
Yes, sir, but"
"And if We suppose these two track.
TO be extended on into infinity. anG
this supply OF kite-string to hold ou
forever. don't you see. Mary, thai
these two lines would be forever ani
ever getting closer and yet never
| Never? You are getting on thi
side OF your own track already, Mr.
| Walker"
Then don't look at me in that way
Mary" he said warningly. stepping
back on his own side. and swallowing
something that had risen in his throat
| sXOr are ondanuaripU tho Who'll