The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-12
A PROFESSION.

finished your educationf
MIR. Clayton-As far as books go. Bless
me, I've spent enough time at it; ham
mering away since was tot Of s, poor
little beggarl
"And now"
"That's 1t. That's what I ask myself.
Hello, old boy, say, to what use are you
going to put all this hard won rubbishr"
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 lawp"
eyes. Worst crowded of all tho profess
sions. Have to sit around half dozen
years or SO twiddling your thumbs and
watching your doorknob to see client
turn it"
"There's medicine"
eyes, Of course; overcrowded too Be-
sides, 1t took me three years of manual
training to find out couldn't use 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.
Tho ministry would never do"
"Haye you thought of engineering"
Thought of 1t in all its branches;
civil, electric, landscape, locomotive, all
grossly overerowded. Everything is over
crowded. Never saw such state Of
things"
"And do you really intend to waste all
that splendid education, Mr.. Claytons"
sit 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"
"But you must do something"
"I've thought Of that too"
"But you don't seem worried-scarcely
interested"
Whats the goodS Something may
turn up. II not, why worry"
why don't you travel2"
"I've thought Of that. I've thought Of
1t several times-lately. Fact is, I've just
been doing little travelling that has
given me a new train Of thought"
"You were in the south, believer"
eyes, at my dear old Uncle Jim's bed
side Poor old Uncle Jiml He was an
other father to me. It's strange how
whimsical personal hkings are. Unclo
Jim liked me. Why, last winter he came
all the way from home-rheumatism and
adjust to SEQ 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 tho crowd and caught me in his
arms like a crazy man, laughing and cry
ing and making the funniest efforts to
give the college yell. Dear old Uncle
Jim! What good times We had togetherl"
ibid he die?'
eyes"
"Too badl''
"Thank you. We had many long talks
together before--the end, and Uncle Jim
put some new 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. Clayton!"
eyes, Miss Searles. 1t would be lib
erty to talk of you to any one else but it
wasn't with Uncle Jim. And showed
him your pioture-the one l stole two
years ago, you remem ber-and he liked it,
and sent you his compliments and his best
love. Uncle Jim was always q grand old
gentleman"
"But don't see''-
pardon me- am about to explain. It
was Uncle Jim who suggested a new pro-
fession for me; OF least, he called it o
profession. He suggested that it wasn't
IS oysrcrowded as some Of the others and
hat there was generally room in it for the
right sort of man. Uncle Jim knew what
he was talking about. He had tho keenost
head for business Of any man know,
and never met anybody whose advice I
valued as highly. You seem to take an in
terest in my welfare, Miss Searles-do the
"details weary your
"No, Mr.. Clayton. It was your-your
1ippancy over q serious subject that an
1oyed me--a little. And'this profession
loes it give you hope of permanent employ
nent2"
"Im sure it does Wouldn't go into
It If didn't think SO.
"And 1t is congenial9"
Every"
"Im glad to hear 1t, Mr. Clayton. It
s strange, though that we didn't happen
% mention it when we went over the vari-
Jus professions.
isn't itP This is something quite differ
mt, though. Perhaps that is the reason
We didn't, as you say, mention it. Would
you like to hear what 1t ISL"
"Why, yes. You arouse my curiosity"
at is called-don't laugh-the profess
ion of son-in-law."
"Mr. Clayton"
"I'd thought of it, you know, some time
'eforo Uncle Jim suggested it. Oh, yes
But Uncle jim, you see, smoothed the |
way. Oh, he was quite taken with your !
He actually made conditions,
erbal, of course, but equally binding,
hat should-well, I'll tell you about |
hat afterward. The other details are all
Iuite satisfactorily arranged, and-and,
low, Aida, it only remains for you to-
o approve the articles of partnership"
"Mr. Clayton, what do you means"
"You just now asked me why didn't
ravel That means go abroad. Well, I've
made up my mind to go abroad-if you
vii go with meas my wife"
George Clayton, is this proposal?"
"Alida Searles, does it need tagP"
"But there's father. He will never
onsont to my marrying a-a-well, you
now, George, you are not very progresses
ng financially"
You are quite mistaken about your
lther. saw him first"
"You didY"
"Oh, yes. He's quite taken with the
lea. Seems to think it's just the profess
ion to suit me. Fact is, you know, I'm
no heaviest depositor in papa's bank.
'es, Uncle Jim left me all his money
here's q deuCed lot of 1.-THE only condi-
you know-being that I
larry at once and marry you"
ut is to fulfill your unole's last request,
len that
"He was very good to me, Aida, and
ny little thing
George Clayton, hate youp'
but you won't stand in the way of my
1tering an honest professionp'
"Ob, you-you aggravating-bear"
"Then here's an attempt at asserting
ears prerogatiye. And you will be Mrs.