The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-18
IN THE ORCHARD.

~' WIS cndrln1nBly MID ana balny
pay. Tho sun shono beyond tho orchard,
end the shade was cool inside. A light
preezo stirred tho boughs of tho old ap-
PIE treo undor which tho philosopher
pat None Of these things did tho phi
Eosopher notice, unless it might DO when
fho wind blow about tho leaves Of tho
largo volume OH his knees and he had
to find his place again. Then no would
excla1m against tho wind, shuttle the
leaves till ho got tho right page and set
Gle to his reading. Tho book was o trea-
use on anthology. 1t was written by an
other philosopher, n friend of this phi
losophcr. 1t bristlcd with fallacies, and
this philosopher was discovering them
oil and noting thcm OH the flyleaf ut tho
Rid. Lie was not going to review tho
book, as some might have thought from
his behavior, or even to answer it in q
work Of his own. 1t was just that no
found q pleasure i'll stripping any poor
fallacy naked and crucifying It,
Presently girl i'll white frock came
into the orch,ud She picked up an ap-
pie, bit it and found it ripo Holding it
IN her hand, she walked up to where
the philosopher sat and looked Mt him.
He did not stir. She took IL bite out of
the apple, munchcd it and swallowed
1t. Tho philosopher cruciflcd fallacy
OH the hylcaf. Tho girl flung the apple
away
Mr.. birmingham, said She "are
you very busy:'
Tho philosopher, pencil in hand,
looked up.
mo, Miss May" said he, mot very"
Because l want your opinion"
In one moment" said tho philoso-
pher alphabetically.
He turned back to tho fylcaf and be-
gan to nail the last fallacy little tight
er to tho cross. The girl regarded him
first with amused impaticncc, then with
vcXcd frown, finally with wistful re-
grct. Ho was so very old for his age,
She thought. He could not be much be-
You'd 80. His hair was thick and full of
waves, his eyes bright and clear, his
complexion not yet Invested Of all
youths relics.
Now, Miss May, I'm at your scrv-
ice, said the philosopher, with ~ lin
gcring look at his impalcd fallacy. And
he closed the book keeping it, however,
OH his knee.
Tho girl sat down just opposite to
him
It's very important .hng 1 want
TO ask you, She began, Juggling ut a
tuft of grass, land it's vcry-dillicult,
and you mustn't tell amy one asked
you-at least, I'd rather you didn't"
y shall not speak of it-indccd
shall probably not remember it., said
the philosopher.
And you mustn't look ut me, please,
while I'm asking YOU.
Il don't think l was looking at you,
but if was beg Your pardon" said
the philosopher alphabetically.
She pulled the tuft of grass right ont
OF the ground and flung it from her
with all her force.
Suppose ii man''-shc began. "No,
that's not right.
You can take any hypothesis you
please" observed the philosopher, but
You must verify it aftcrward of course. :"
on do let me 30 on! Suppose girl,
Mr. Jcrningham-I wish you woultln't
nod. "
1T was only to show that l followed
you.
ooh, of course you follow me, as
you call it. Suppose girl had two low
ers-you'ro nodding again!-or | ought
to say suppose there were two men who
might DO i'll love with girl
only two:" asked the philosopher.
"Io on see, any number of men might
be in love with"--
oh we can leave the rest ont" said
Miss May, with Il sudden dimple-
s'thry don't matter ~
Very well" said the philosopher,
eff they arc irrelevant, we will put
them aside. "
Suppose, then, that ono of these
mon was, oh, awfully in love with the
Cir and-and proposed, you know" -
"A moment!' said the philosopher,
opening notebook. Let me take
down his proposition. What was it?''
why, proposed to hcr-asllcd her to
marry him, " said the girl with Il stare.
Dear me, how stupid of me! forgot
that special use of the word Yes?'
''Thc girl likes him pretty well, and
her people approve Of him and all that,
you know"
That simplifcs the problem" said
the philosopher nodding again
But she's not in-in love with him,
You know. She doesn't really care for
him-much. Do You UNDERESTIMATE
Perfectly. 1t is Il most natural state
of mind "
well, then, suppose that there's an
other man-what are you writing?"
/ Il only put down B)-likc that"
pleaded the philosopher, meckly cxhib-
iting his notebook.
Clio loo1,o.l ~ H.,