The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-25
PART II.


He said it boldly, awkwardly, earn
estly. Miss Frtwen drew back, wholly
surprised and taken aback at his un-
expected offer. 1t was a minute before
she fully took in what he meant. Then
she looked at him quizzically. You in
tend this for a proposal?" she asked
curiously.
He seized her hand. "Yes, Monica"
he cried. Say yet to mel"
She disengaged him gently, yet firm
ly and decisively. "Oh, no." she cried;
Mr.. Pelew, you are quite mistaken. I
never even dreamt of it,"
But why?" he cried ooh, why
You-you have meant so much to ne.
You have given me such fresh hopes,
you have revolutionized life for me-
She looked back at him with kind
eyes. Because" she said, first, Il
have-my book to finish.'
He pleaded with her eloquently. He
would help her with the book. He
would learn all she wished. He would
toll and slave He would become a
pillar of Etruscan learning. He begged
his very best. At last Miss Frewen
was fain to speak the truth. Because
Mr.. Pelew you-you do not attract
me-"
absolutely
absolutely"
He let her hand drop-for he had
seized it again. He was a stone sar-
cophagus. She rose gently and with
drew. When he got back to his room he
found a little note: After what he S
occurred I think we had better not
meet again. And l feel l must leave
T Los,
Monica Frewen."
When an athletic young Englishman
is refused point blank by the lady Of
his choice he does not blow his brains
out; he works it off in boating. Sc
Arthur Pelew took a fishe"man's boat
at once and retired into the bay, where
the wind was rising.
He had only known Monica Frewen
for three short weeks, but three weeks
are more than enough to change the
current of q life or to color a future
And Arthur Pelew was very much il,
love with Miss Frewen. He coulJ
hardly himself have analysed his feel
ings toward her. Three weeks before
he was merely the average young mGr
of science, with a dogmatic conviction
of the Sufiiciency of matter, motion aaG
energy, and a somewhat ignorant con.
tempt of all arts and graoes. Save as
schoo! of science, Oxford had fa!ler
flat upon him. 1t mad not given ]. in
expansive culture. But Monica Frewer
was a different sort of university. Hc
had never looked at an Etruscan sar
cophagus before-though his outel
eye had many times lighted upon one
but now, when Miss FreWen unfoldeG
her delicate drawings and eXpoundeC
their meaning to him with glowing en-
thusiasm-a young girls enthusiasm
he was fairly carried away by her i'm
pulsive eloquence. For a young girl i!
young girl still, even when she di
lates upon Polynices and Eeteocles
You may think Polynices and Eteocle!
dry, but that is your narrowness; re
member how much depends upon tn,
Polynices-and-E -Eteocles- monger. From
Miss Frewen's lips, Greek accents
would have been ccharming, and San
skirt itself would hsve flowed lik'
an Italian melody.
She made Arthur Pelew dimly awar,
of certain deficiency in his own cul
ture. And the form the conviction
took with him was this-when sh
talked to him with all the force of he
me gretic personality, he felt quite as
suled that the only thing in life wortl
a young mans while to do was t.
marry Monica Frewen, and pass hi
days with her in the study of Etruscal
sarcophagi.
So Arthur Pelew rowed on and on
thinking only of the hard work o
breasting the breakers-which, fOrtu