The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-05-23
For the Intelllsencer.
HIS OWN CHOICE
nY rIorrNcn MAYNARp.

BY FLORENCE MAY N4AfD.
Aunt Eunicc. 1 ten you cnre for no
woman but mother, and would give az
/ ON worth to see her this evening.
| But only two weeks more ana she WIN
be home, and Baltimore will have 70 get
along as best 1t can without her"
| The speaker was handsome young
man reclining on couch in an elegant
| ly furnished room, and gazing Win
| dreamy expression Into the lire.
Il was growing dark. but the lamps
| had not yet been lighted. and one mlSht
| Just distinguish, on the other side OF the
| wide fireplace, well dressed, elderly
! lady seated in large cushioned chalr,
/ and looking with q business-air at the
young man before her.
yes, and tell you II is time you were
/ caring for some young lady Here you
are thirty, and really believe you never
have given any one more attention than
| the simplest courtesy
quite right! And It Is We probable
/ that in ten years mOrc you can truthtul-
| Is make the same statement, with sim-
pie change as 10 my age. And now my
auntie, / would advise you TO conhne
your business talent to more material
things. and leave to me the manages
ment of my own heart"
Aunt Eunice paid no attention to this
last bit of advice, but went on.
ALBERT have you met the new lady
professor OF mathematics at the girls
NO, have not met her, nor do de-
81 wish you to meet her this evening
at the reception. l know you will be
charmed with herr she is just the sort OF
girl you would like"
| bert, 81 assure you. once for oil, will
not spend this-evening in the society OF
your charming professor of mathemat-
| les, do not wish to talk with girl
i who is estimating the comparative
weight of my brain in air and water,
/ and applying a theorem OF geometry to
| determine the length OF my nose. l
can endure much, but there is n lipit
| / thank you very much Tor your kild
| interest in me, but would prefer to
choose my own company at the recep-
! tIon-If at the reception must be,
which 1 consider the greatest bore, for l
would so much rather lie here by the
fire. 1 wish the reception were in Hall
| faxn
ut would only be farther for you to
| CO." returned his aunt, coolly. And
now you must go and make your toilet"
He arose and left the room, mutterlnS
| something about never having enjoyed
a reception in his life.
The time for the reception came. Al
| bert Lewis went, simply because ne
must, and not because he desired TO, or
| expected a pleasant evening. But one
| thing he had fully declded--he would
| not meet the professor OF mathematics!
| He would show his aunt that he would
| make his own choice OF company, ana
| that he would choose no such person as
| that.
The reason that Albert 50 much dis
liked society was not that he was not
| accustomed to II, or that he was not
| perfectly ut his ease there, for his whole
| life had been spent In the best circles;
| but he considered 1t waste OF time and
| talent-these receptions, and all the
| other requirements Of fashionable life.
| He declared that he could sec no sense
| in spending an evening in Idle chatter
| with silly young Indies And now his
| aunt wanted him to be bored even worse
| than by silly young ladies-by cold
calculating old maid! 1t was more than
| he would submit to-
The parlors were crowded when he ar
| rived. He spent some time, as he usual
| ly did at receptions, tnlltinE nonsense
| with first one and then another young
| lady, and wGs already getting very tired
| OF it, when thG hostess touched him on
| the arm, saying:
''AIr. Lewis, will You please come with
! me. / wish to Introduce you to young
lady whose company am sure you VIII
| enjoy. That Is she, standing there by
| that SCREEN"
He gave one cautious glance to make
sure that his hostess had not Joined his
| aunt in n conspiracy, and that he was
not about to be thrown into inc com
| many OF that dreaded person; but one
| look dIspcllcd all fear. a pretty girl,
| dresycd in some delicate material OF
which he could not determine the shade,
| stood before him.
miss Carroll, Mr.. Lewis" said the
| hostess.
That graceful bow. the perfect ease
| with which She entered into conversa-
| ton, hor apparent intelligence ana cul-
| ture won his admiration. and thew werp
| aeon intensely interested in the CONVEX
| satlon, which drlftcd on to mere sensi-
| ble subjects than he had talked OF with
the others whom h0shad met.
They had been talking, In fact. quite
| n little while, but II seemed to Albert
| only n tcw moments, when he spled nus
nunt with n lady--thc very embodiment
| of his Ideal Of tho professor OF maine
mntics HIS nilnt was looking ABOUT as
| though seeking come one
| Miss Carroll" he said, "ict us STRIP
| on the other side OF this screen; / VIII
explain my reason"
| Once on the other side OF the Hu'eon,
| and seated on a couch so as to be COM
| plctcly hidden from his aunt, he felt
| much safer, for he Ind really feared
| that there was no escape
81 have been trying to avoid my nunt
| This evening"" nc snid. land Just now
| saw her looking about as though she
| might be seeking me l am sure that
| Won viii nrree with me that / have u
GOOD reason for Wishing to evade hor.
| NV aunt has decided that the new pro-
| foEsor of mathematics ut the Girls col
lego ia lust the sort Of person / would
| ike. She informed me that II was her
| dnsirc TINT should meet that lady tbi5
| evening and enjoy her company. had
| no notion of doing any such thing, and
| told her 30. plainly. The Idea OF spend
Ing the evening with such n cold. calcou-.
| IltIng being! shuddcr nj the Thought
! Now do You not agree with me that his
| wng gloomy prospcct?"
81 should think 1t would be unpleasant
| 10 rpend an evening Is such u PERSONS
| company" shc said. And he Thought
| he saw smile pass over her ince, th1t
| looked aB II something had greatly
| amused her, but OF course that was on
nccount OF nils dismal picture OF an even
ing with the professor
~ saw my nunt Just now, no re-
| Eunled. "witn a lady who, | mn quite
| etre Ia the ono she wished mo to meet"
10 dcplguntcd IN hor the one OF whom
he smoke and ngaln he noticed that Pc
| cullgrly amused look, hut no wonder Tor
| the lady he pointed out was certainly
| odd looking But before he knew II, It
/ ...a,sf tIv,ttt 90