Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-15

alone, " he said, HE never did you any
harm. He didn't put c~aterpillars in your
bath, and he didn't make beetles run after
you"
"Don't be silly" Kitty said.
"That isn't argument" said the boy.
The next morning Barker, the boy, Fan
Shave and Hemming watched Miss Kitty
Hurst and the professor pass through tho
wicket gate at the bottom of the rose gar
den and enter the copse a few yards beyond.
The professor walked hurriedly, avoiding
the patches of wet clay by instinct. Miss
Kitty had more than once to request a less
speedy progress, and at the site, which
they reached after a few minutes hurried
tramp, she was glad to stop and recover
her breath.
Isn't 1t lovely2" gasped Kitty. "This
meadow and this copse are worth the
whole of London season." Two months
hence Kitty would be dying for a dance.
The professor looked at the flowers and
dissected them with his eye, looked at the
butterflies and classified them at a glance.
eyes," he said; sit is very lovely"
They walked on until the basket and
the tin boxes were almost full, and Kitty
heard about many things which she tried
vainly to remember. Kitty Hurst felt hap.
pier than she had been for a very long
while. There was something Instinct with
pleasure In thus wandering through peace
full meadows, beside hedgerows, finding
wonderful things in the least considered
places and feeling you step spring upon
the turf with continually renewed yigor.
On the following morning Kitty and
the professor again set forth with basket
and boxes, and on several successive
mornings, until the young men who as
sembled in the billiard room began to de-
test the professor most cordially.
Miss Hurst said the professor, star
ing curiously at the twisted trunk Of 4
massive oak tree, "do you intend to un-
dertake IA serious study of botapy?'
sob, it's very interesting, said Kitty,
land it's very nice to be among these de-
lightful green fields and copses, but rs to
becoming a really serious botanist, / am
afraid 1 am not built that way"
Eyes, it's very pleasant said the pro.
lessor, land your presence seems to make
it even more pleasant
"It's very good of you to say that, but |
thought that you scientific men always
spoke the truth AS far as our knowledge
allowed. In fact, | thought that that was
the basis Of the scientific spirit and what
made it so objectionable to the magma
tive creature"
CAS- far as my knowledge admitted |
spoke the truth, F" said the professor.
"Ah, that's because you haven't the ar
tistic instinct! If you had, you would
know that my person in it's present rela-
lions to those trees is abominable and that
my frook is simply revolving beside those
purple flowers"
The professor smiled and walked or.
Blue shadows dappled the olden grass, a
soft breeze shook the boughs overhead; the
morning was perfect. Miss Hurst and the
professor staid suddenly in their walk as
If by instructive sympathy and gazed at
the soft line of the downs which stretched
far OH their left hand.
"What a paradise, this pastoral Eng
land!' said the professor. His glance had
synthesized, not analysed.
Kitty nodded. There Is an element in
such a scene that bushes the human voice.
"For this" went on the professor,
"would you care to give up a great deal of
the pleasures which are in your London
life-the dances, theaters and concerts
to take nature as your sole entertainer, to
watch her In her passive and dramatic
moods, in her minute and her mighty Of
fects?''
To such an appeal as the sunlight offer
cd who could say ''no?" Kitty knew that
dances and theaters must be loathsome
and wondered how she could have oonsid-
cred them satisfactory.
Eyes" she said, 81 could live like that
with thorough happiness. l am sure that
one is very foolish to consider 40 many
trivial and artificial pleasures"
"And would you care to live that life
with me, If / tried to do all that might lie
in my power to increase your happiness9
l love you. l an not an old man, but not
young enough to get bitten by Il passing
fancy. I know that you have scarcely
known me long enough to be able to say
whether you would be happy as my wife
or not. My manner of living has been en-
tirely different from yours, but I could
make some concessions to your habits, and
that need not DO a barrier"
Miss Kitty Hurst suddenly discovered
why she had been so contented during the
past few days.
II should be very, very happy with
you, " she said.
The group Of men In the billiard room
were spending an uncomfortable morn
ing. Barker swore, the boy sulked and
broke the jigger, Fanshawe Of the Cold
streams paved his mustaohe, Hemming,
the rising barrister, smiled. Clancy Kit
ty Hurst being engaged to the professor u
he said. st. Paul's.