The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-08-11
MRS. PARSONS, NJ. D.

either.
To begin with, I took up medicine
comparatively late in life. They had
made an architect Of me, but / soon
found myself kicking vigorously
against that honorable profession. AZ.
ter deal OF persuasion / was allowed
TO enter as student at Bartis and for
two years worked hard.
/ read a good deal at the British
museum, like other fellows, from the
sth Of August, lss-, always at the b
II seat
Why, you ask, always at that place.
| Well, because it WAS on that date
the most charming little woman ever
saw first came and occupied the seat
marked b T. 1 hoped she would
keep to that seat, and 80 she did. The
pile OF books she used daily staggered
NE, and of course il would have been
Troublesome to alter the indications on
all her reference slips ifshe had chang
ed or been ousted from B L.
From the 9Th OF August, lsS-, twas
generally a toss ap which of Us was
the first reader 10 appear in the read
ing ROOM The assistants often smiled.
Her name was Bella Whiteombe. /
learned that very soon. An official
left one OF her slips on my table by
mistake She had asked for Strauss
famous Lecture on Cardiac Troubles"
and the slip came TO me marked ''In
Use" | had the greatest pleasure in
the world in returning the slip to her
with a smile. Then she smiled back
al me with those sweet brown eyes of
hers and remarked: "What a nui-
sancei ! did 30 want it."
After this We often exchanged words,
trivial words. Any pretext Was good
enough for me that procured NE
glance or a smile from her.
did not get on at all with studies.
II had not been a fool from the pro-
fessiOnal point Of view, | should have
bolted TO the W or Y part OF the room.
But had come TO the conviction that
it was more enjoyable to fail in my
exams and Sc Bella ever day than pass
with distinction st the cost of sever
anee from her.
Blissful, lazy, heartbreaking, anxious
hours, day after day from half past
until 8, with an interval Of three quar-
,a-. Of ar, bour for lunch
Bella was brought TO the museum
every morning by maid The maid
took her of for lunch, and the maid
was always waiting among the pigeons
under the portieO from five minutes to
in the afternoon
There was no getting rid of that pre-
ci Jus abOminable domestic.
When We had known each other a
month, proposed il was a wild fool |
ish thing to do to accompany her
toward Bayswater on an omnibus. The !
maid was 10 go inside, she and out
side, but il was no go.
MY father wouldn't like it, Mr.. |
MarrabIe," she said, with symps-
thetic smile.
| tried whispering conversations |
about the weather, textbooks, exams |
and 80 on. But, 10 say nothing of the |
frOwns raised on other studiOas faces |
and formal protest from the gentle |
man on his throne in the middle Of the |
room, Bella did not greatly encourage |
me.
II am here to work" she wrote on a |
slip at one time and pushed this tow
ard me.
It will hardly be credited, but / os-
tentatiously put that slip to my lips
and then folded it aud placed it in my |
watch pocket. the heart pocket.
How she looked at me when / did
this An ordinary girl would have
giggIed. She did not giggle, and |
theneeforward her smiles were not |
quite what they had been. The PEN
sive seriousness in them, however,
made her more and more dear to ME.
Even when, for joke, I recommend
ed her to ask for Spencer on should
er Blades" well known absGrdity.
she only gave me little reproving nod
Of her pretty head, with the bronze
colOred hair and the tiny shell ears
50 il went on until November, when
[ could bear il no longer. / knew less
about surgery and medicine than in
July.
II must speak IN you at luncheon,
I whispered to her that morning. My /
face Impressed her. Besides there was
another reason why she should assent
We came out among the Egyptian
tombs, mummies and things / told
her she was everything to me-life
blood, ambition, happiness-and, as
was right, she believed me. Better
still. she admitted that was much to
her.
"But, Philip" she added | was
holding her hand; We had wandered
into Greek statuary room, where
there was no soul else, ''it must all
depend upon my father. If you satisfy
him, shall be a happy girl.'
The Greek statues had, / dare say,
seen a great many people kiss each
other 900 or 300 years ago, but they
never saw = more earnest exchange OF
such tokens of affection than ours.
Tomorrow dear" said Bella, ''at
II O'Clock would be the best time for
him.
An exciting bat felicitOus evening
followed, unmarried by my sisters
seoff at the idea Of my marrying
medicine woman; 50 she termed my
Bella
But when / was at Bella's fathers
door did not feel happy. What were
my prospects, / had 500 year of
my own; nothing else.
OfalI things, too, Professor Whit
connie was teacher Of philosophy.
IL Is Just those men who are 50 con-
eerned with ideals that look 80 tre-
mendously sharp after the downright
material good things of this life.
The gentleman Disconnected me from
the outset by his formal manners and
n ~ |