The Portland daily press., 1892-12-22

that would even complete regular
course. So at the beginning of the sec
ond semester Ientered as a especial"
Ed was now allowed, conditionally, to
attend lectures, and so on both sides our
time for walking and scientific investi-
cation was much ,curtailed. We still
found time, however. for a short daily
tramp, and as spring came on for fire.
quent longer excursions. The beauty of
May days was wholly irresistible, so that
even our sober minded and church 60
ing Orpha was induced to spend one per-
feet Sunday morning with US in quiet
wood strewn thick with spring beauties
and adder tongue. She confessed after
ward that at first she thought it was
wicked, but when we got there she knew
1t wasn't.
Well, with botanizing and tennis and
examinations the last days of this blessed
year slipped past.
The Saturday before commencement
Ed and went up the river for orchids.
We found only a few yellow ones, but
could not feel much disappointed. The
sky and the river would have made up
for much greater loss. We drifted
back almost in silence, listening to the
soft plash of the water against the boat,
the dreary whispering of the trees on the
bank and at intervals the faroH cry of
hawk.
Presently Ed interrupted it all.
81 want to give you something be-
fore you GO" he announced suddenly.
"May I?'
.'Why, yes, if it isn't too valuable"
answered priggishly in a desperate at
tempt to be proper.
81 assure You it is absolutely worth
less unless you care for it" and he dex-
terously tossed a long, folded paper into
my lap. Another of the legal jokes he
was always laboriously perpetrating!
Yes-a deed this time, carefully filed
out, except a short blank space near the
top:
This indenture, made this goth day of June,
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty-one, between Edward
Mills Rice, party of the first part, and - -
-, of the second part, witnesseth that the
said party of the first part for and in consider
alton Of love and affection to him in hand paid
ceipt whereof is hereby confessed and ac-
knewledged. does by these presents grant, bar
gain, sell, remise, release, alien and confirm
unto the said party of the second part and to
;.er heirs and assigns forever all that certain
zee or parcel of humanity situate and being
= present in the city of Ann Arbor, county of
Nashtenaw and state of Michigan, and de-
scribed as follows, to wit: An ordinary enough
piece Of goods, reasonably well educated and
moderately well fixed; twenty three years old
and quite alone in the world, with no eyes to
speak Of, and at least two years of grinding
yet ahead, together with all and singular, the
hereditaments and appurtenances belonging
or in anywise appertaining, to have and to
hold the said -
read no further.
ED, why don't you give this to Or
phas"
"Orphaw he echoed. "She wouldn't
have it; you know she wouldn't. And
besides added the audacious youth,
9'she hasn't paid me the consideration
mer toned therein
"Well, goodness knows didn't sup
pose I had, either, Ed. But-whatshall
do with this?
.sYou might just write your name in
the space I left for it, he suggested.
didn't quite dare to.
Ileaned my chin upon my hand, looked
into the water and thought But Eds
face foated persistently between me and
all prudential considerations. eHe is a
year younger than you. What about the
mature ready made man whom you as
sured Tom you should marry? What
will Tom say? And how supremely ri
diculous and inconsistent! Refuse Tom
because he wasn't old enough and marry
a man six months younger than he and
twice as boyish looking! But, if choose
to be inconsistent, whose business is it
anyhow" I.would not reason. l would
not CONSIDER" shot swift smile up
into Eds anxious face and then with my
fountain pen traced in round deliberate
characters across the space he had left
Kate Marion Barrett.
I have the old deed yet. Since our
marriage it has lain in state, the sole oc-
cupant of a convenient pigeonhole in my
writing desk. Here often run across
it and smile as wonder whether in
dear old Ann Arbor, fragrant with the
memory of countless student romances,
the momentous question was ever be-
fore or since asked and answered in such
unpoetic fashion. But Ed and I don't
care. We have had our poetry since
Kitty Carew in Detroit News.
Cxsd aT,u Eox o1o