Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-22
II WAS VERY SUDDEN.
But the Man at the Telephone Got tho An
swer He Wanted.

SWer He wanted.
An event has occurred in Michigan,
near Detroit, which appears TO confirm
the idea that courtship as well as most
other things will hereafter be greatly
facilitated by recent inventions. 1t seems
that there is a young lady residing in
Detroit who for some time has been the
recipient of the attentions of two young
men--one a young professor at the
Michigan state university at Ann Ar
Dor and the other travelling salesman
for a New York wholesale hardware
house, whose route extends through
Michigan and parts of Canada.
One day recently the New Yorker ar
rived in Detroit late i'll the afternoon,
and Of course Immediately started to
make the rounds of the retail hardware
dealers, with the laudable purpose of
selling each good stock for the winter
before the representative of any rival
concern should put in an appearance
He had hoped to visit the object Of his
affections in the evenings but business
was brisk, and at s o'clock found him
very busy trying to induce prominent
dealer to take six dozen axes, four dozen
grindstones and half carload of wood
en- pals. At this stage of the proceed
ings younger brother Of the young
lady dropped in to get new jackknife
and accidentally mentioned that the
Ann Arbor professor was up at the
house.
1t instantly occurred to the progress
i've hardware and cutlery drummer
that the college man came 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
hs heart, but he speedily 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 con-
stantly in his mind, waking and sleep
ing, was unbearable. Light suddenly
dawned ON him. Handing the merchant
circular explaining the merits of his
new double bladed chopping knives, he
requested the use of the dealers tele-
phone 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 professor had
been there for an hour talking pleasant
ly of the grand educational work they
were doing in the department of fos-
silogy at Ann Arbor When the bell
rang, the lady's father being absent
he is physician-she excused herself
and proceeded to the adjoining room to
answer it. The professor heard her step
to the telephone and say eyes, make a
short pause and say ''Yes" again. Then
there was longer pause, and he heard
her reply, "Why-why-reall this is
very sudden. Then there was a still
longer pause, and he heard her say
"Yes, very softly, and then "Goodby,"
and then she hung up the receiver and
camo into the back room. The college
man moved closer to the lady and re-
marked that it was warm evening,
and he thought it was going to rain and
then resumed his talk about the great
work at the university. Fifteen minutes
later there was a ring at the front door
bell. The lady responded to it, and a
district messenger boy handed her a
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 a
very 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 and shook his fist at the telephone
wire and took the first train for Ann
Arbor Hardware