The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-06-11

~z-S> comparatively late
in life. They had made an architect
Of me, but / soon found myself kick
ing vigorously against that honorable
profession. After O deal OF persuasion
/ was allowed to enter as a student at
Barts. and for two years worked
hard.
i read a good deal at tho British
Museum, like other fellows, from the
8th Of August, 1Ss-, always at the
b. IL seat.
Why, you ask, always at that place?
Well, because il was on that date
that tho most charming little woman /
ever saw first came and occupied the
seat marked BIZ. / hoped she would
keep to that seat, and 80 she did, The
pile Of books she used daily staggered
me, and Of course it would have been
troublesome TO alter the indications
on all her reference slips If she had
changed or been ousted from b ~.
From the 9th OF August, lSS-, ii
was generally "A toss up which OF us
was the first reader 10 appear in the
reading room. The assistants often
smiled.
Her name was Bella Whitcomb. /
learned that very soon. An official
left one OF her slips on my table by
mistake. She hac asked Tor Strauss
famous "Lecture on Cardiac Trou.
bles." and the slip came to me marked
Gin use." had the greatest pleasure
in the world in returning the slip to
her with q smile. Then she smiled
back at me with those sweet, brown
eyes OF hers and remarked, "What q
nuisance l did so want II"
After this we often exchanged words.
Trivial words Any pretext was good
enough for me that procured me q
glance or a smile from her.
did not get on at all with studies.
If l had not been a fool iron the pro
fessional point OF view, should have
bolted to the W or Y part of the room
but had come TO the conviction tina
it was more enjoyable to fail in ny
exams. and see Bella every day thar
pass with distinction ct the cost o.
severance from her.
Blissiul, lazy, heart breaking, snxiou
hours Day after day, from half-pas
nine until three with an interval o
three quarters of an hour for lunch.
Bella was brought TO the Museum
every morning by maid; the mai
took her off for lunch, and the mai
was always waiting among the pigeon
under the portico from five minutes t
three in the afternoon.
There was no getting rid Of tina
precious abominRble domestic.
When we had known each other
month proposed lit was a wild, FOOLS
thing to do) to accompany her towar
Bayswater on an omnibus. The mai
was to go inside, she and / outside
But it was no go.
''My father wouldn't like it, MI
Marrable," she said, with "a sympt
thetic smile.
l tried whispering conversations
about the weather, text books, exams
and so on but, to say nothing of til
frowns raised on other studious face
and formal protest from the gentle
man on his throne in the middle I
the room, Bella did not greatly Ell
courage me.
81 am here to work." she wrote c
slip at one time and pushed this t
ward me.
1t will hardly be credited, but I o
: tentatiously put that slip to my lii
and then folded it and placed it
my watch-pocket-the heart poke
How she looked at me when l d
this. An ordinary girl would ha
giggled. She did not giggle, al
thenceforward her smiles we're n
4 quite what they had been. The pc
! sive seriousness in them, howeve
: made her more and more dear to m
Even when, for joke, l recommend
her to ask for Spencer on "Should
{ Blades"-a well-known absurdity-s
= only gave me little reproving nod
her pretty head, with the bronze G
: ored hair and the tiny shell ears.
Q So it went on until November, VIII
e could bear it no longer. / knew Il
a about surgery and medicine than
July.
81 must speak to you at luncheon
T / whispered to her that morning.
IS face impressed her. Besides, the
Y was another reason why she chou
!. assent.
We came out among the Egypt
% tombs, mummies and things. l t
is her she was everything to mel
r blood, ambition, happiness, and,
;, was right, she believed me. Bet
, still, she admitted that was much
. her.
y "But, Philip" she added Il '
holding her hand; we had wander