The Coconino sun., 1891-07-11
LOVE VERSUS SCIENCE.

1t was Friday afternoon and school
was out Tor the week. The youngsters
mad gathered their books, fled out OF
the Door with whoop and werSs on
their way home Some OF the older
pupils had fingered to discuss the alb
surdity OF a 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" ard "com-
positions" had been fihished. This
proposition or statement was TO the et-
feet that two straight lines could ap-
proach each other forever without
coming quite together. He had made
this assertion incidentally without
stopping to demonstrate 1t, and with
al their reverence for his superior
knowledge they couldn't swallow it.
Hiram Walker, the young man who,
for consideration OF $50 a 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 ap.
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 prettiost 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.
let 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
a smile on his face to the words and
fragmentary sentences that reached
his ear, and went on arranging his
desk.
Presently he took from its inmost
recesses a big oblong ball of Irvine,
such as kite-hying boys are wont to
make by winding it criss-cross on
stick of wood put it in his pocket, and
closed the desk with 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,
81 am to be bOarder at your house
for the next week, if | am not mis-
taken"
Yes, sir" replied Miss Mary, look
ing straight ahead.
This fact Aeing logically established,
Mr.. Hiram Walker took from hio
pocket the oblong ball of Irvine.
Now, Miss Mary" he said, with
the manner of man bent wholly on
demonstrating a proposition in mathe-
MATES, 'if you doubt that two lines
can approximate each other forever
yet never coincide, | will prove it to
you"
II didn't say I doubted it. Mr..
Walker"
But you do doubt it,
'tHow do you know"
by the TWINKLE in your eyes"
She looked straight ahead again.
1T 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 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
IL into the ground at one side OF the
smooth road and walked along on the
other side, unrOlling the string ?, be
went.
Now, Miss Mary" no resumed,
"you walk in the wagon track en- that
side OF the Toad ard | will walk on
this"
The road from the school house to
the Sanford farm dwelling stretched
across the level prairie almost as
straight as a rule, Mr. Walker, by
accident, 1t seemed had taken SO much
time preparing TO demonstrate his
scientific fact that tho sun was getting
low and nobody was in sight.
You see, Mary" he said, that
this Irvine, as ! travel along in this
track, is drawing all the time closer to
the limo represented by the track on
your side, don't you?"
''Yay, sir, but"
"And il we suppose these two tracks
TO be extended on into infinity, and
this supply of kite-string to hold out
forever, don't you see, Mary, that
these two lines would DO forever and
ever getting closer and yet mover"
"Never9 You are getting on this
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.
'You are endangering the whole
fabric Of science! Give me your
hand"
What for?"
sol can keep at the right dis
lance"
With his left hand clasping her
right hand across the roadway they
walked slowly along toward the house