The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-29
A PROFESSION.

I Aa4S0C0 gOuL G0LAab1Onf
MIR. Clayton-As far as books go. Bless
me, I've spent enough time at it; ham,
mering away since was tot of 5, poor
little beggarl
"And now?''
"That's it. That's what ask myself.
| Hello, old boy, say, to what use are you
| going to put all this hard won rubbish?' -
Have you thought of a profession?"
No end of times and no end of profess
sions.''
"And why can't you choose?''
Same old trouble with each-over-
| crowded" ;"
''You studied law?'
eyes. Worst crowded of all the profess
sions Have to sit around half dozen
years or so twiddling your thumbs and
watching your dOorknob to see a client
turn it. :"
"There's medicine
Yes, of course; overcrowded too. Be-
sides, it took me three years of manual
training to find out 1 couldn t use a saw. {"
How about the ministry?''
"Frightfully Overcrowded. Then I'm
so deficient in reverence; not enough, per-
haPs, to make me a modern pulpit pet but
too much so for my own peace of mind.
The ministry would never do
"Have you thought of engineerings''
Thought of it in all it's branches;
civil, electric, landscape, locomotive, all
grossly overerowded. Everything is over
crowded. Never saw such a state OF
things"
"And do you really intend to waste all
that splendid education, Mr.. ClaytOnY"
''It looks that way, Miss Searles You
see, I've thought of everything, balloon
ing and exploring and mining and treas
ure hunting and ostrich farming Either
it's all overcrowded or I'm not suited to
it. Do you know, I had about given it
up
u0I1 =% 10 afh
1--WE thought of that too"
but you don't seem worried-scarcely
interested"
whats the goodR Something may
turn up. If not, why worry?"
"Why dom t you travelf'
"I've thought of that. I've thought of
it several times-lately. Fact is, I've just
been doing a little travelling that has
given me new train of thought
You were in the SOUTH I believer"
Yes, at my dear old Uncle Jim s bed |
side. Poor old Uncle Jinl He was an
other father to me. It's strange how
whimsical personal likings are. Uncle |
Jim liked me. Why, last winter he came
all the way from home-rheumatism and
all-just to see me play half back in tho
Thanksgiving day game. And after I
made my long run and the winning
touchdown the dear old fellow pushed /
through the crowd and caught me in his /
arms like crazy man, laughing and cry
ing and making the funniest efforts to /
give the college yell. Dear old Uncle i
Jiml What good times we had together!'' /
did he die?''
eyes"
"Too badl"
"Thank you. We had many long talks !
together before-the end, and Uncle Jim +
put some ideas into my head. We /
talked on this very subject that has inter /
ested US tonight. Yes, and we talked of /
you, Miss Searles.''
''Mr Claytonl''
Eyes, Miss Sear1es. 1t would be a lib
erty to talk of you to any one else, but it
wasn't with Uncle Jim. And 1 showed .
him your picture-the one I stole two
years ago, you remeln ber-and he liked it,
and sent you his compliments and his best
love. Uncle Jim was always a grand old .
gentleman"
''But don't see''-
pardon me, I am about to explain. It
was Uncle Jim who suggested a new pro-
fession for me; at least, he called it a
profession. He suggested that it wasn't
as overcrOwded as some of the others and .
that there was generally room in it for the
right sort of man. Uncle Jim knew what
he was talking about. He had the keenest .
head for business of any man I know,
and never met anybody whose advice
valued as highly. You seem 20 take an in
.terest in my welfare, Miss Searles-do the
details weary you?'
mo, Mr.. Clayton. It was your-your
dippancy over a serious subject that an
noyed me-a little And this profession
does it give you hope of permanent employ
mentf''
I'm sure it does. Iwouldn't go into
it if I didn't think so.
''And it is congenialP"
Every"
"I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Clayton. 1t
is strange, though, that we didn' t happen
to mention it when we went over the vari-
Gus professions.
ent, though. Perhaps that is the reason
we didn't, as you say, mention it. Would
you like to hear what it is?''
''Why, yes. You arouse my curiosity"
''It is called-dont laugh-the profess
sion of son-in-law."
''Mr. Claytonl'
'I'd thought of it, you know, some time
before Uncle Jim suggested it. Oh, yes
But Uncle Jim, you see, smOothed the
way. Oh, he was quite taken with your
photograph. He actually made conditions,
verbal, of course, but equally binding,
that I should-wen, III tell you about
that afterward. The other details are all
quite satisfactorily arranged, and-and,
now, Aida, 1t only remains for you to
to approve the articles of partnership"
''Mr. Clayton, what do you mean2"
You just now asked me why didn't |
LHaN61- 4HdG ALed11S SO dDIOeh0 fC4AJ W
made up my mind to go abroad-if you
will go with meas my wife. " ,
George Clayton, is this a proposal?"
"Alida Searles, does it need a tag?"
"But there's father. He will never
consent to my marrying a-a-well, you /
know, George, you are not very prepossess-
ing financially.
You quite mistaken about your
father. 1 saw him first"
''You did?' ,
"Oh, yes. He's quite taken with the !
idea. Seems to think it's just the profess