Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-18

Glow about the ministry"
~"Frightfully oyercrowded. Then I'm
SO deficient in reverence; not enough, per.
haps, to make me a modern pulpit pet, but
too much SO for my W peace of mind.
The ministry would never do"
"Have you thought of engineeringP"
Thought of it in all its branches
civil, electric, landscape, locomotive, all
crowded. Never saw such a state Of
things"
"And do you really intend to waste all
that splendid education, Mr.. ClaytonS"
ut 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, / had about given it
up"
"But you must do something"
Eve thought of that too"
"But you don't seem worried-scarcely
interested"
"What's the goodp Something may
turn up. If not, why worry?"
"Why don't you travel?"
"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 a new train Of thought"
You were in the south, / believer"
eyes, at my dear old Uncle Jim's bed
side. Poor old Uncle Jim! He was an
other father to me. It's strange how
whimsical personal likings are. Uncle
Jim liked me. Why, last winter he came
oil &kn rr,o y fpDY,, hp,,, u1o,r,,%tc1,, nr-
ADJUST to see me play half back in the
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 a crazy man, laughing and cry
ing and making the funniest efforts to
give the college yell. Dear old Uncle
Jim! What good times W. had togetherl"
"Did he die?"
eyes"
"Too badi'
"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 a lib
erty to talk of you to any one else, but 1t
wasn't with Uncle Jim. And l showed
him your pioture-the, II l stole two
years ago, you remelnber-and he liked it,
and sent you his compliments and his best
love. Uncle Jim was always Il grand old
gentleman"
"But / don't see"-
S0oN1or ,oo I ON, ahout fC oYn1aip 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 I never met anybody whose advice l
valued as highly. You seem to take an in
terest in my welfare, Miss Searles-do the
details weary your
"No, Mr.. Clayton. 1t was your-your
fippancy over a serious subject that an
noyed me-a little. And this profession
does 1t give you hope of permanent employ
ment?"
"I'm sure 1t does. I wouldn't go into
1t If l didn't think So"
"And 1t is congenial9"
every"
"I'm glad to hear 1t, Mr.. Clayton. 1t
is strange, though, that we didn't happen
to mention it when we went over the vari-
GUS professions"
"Isn't itP This is something quite differ
emit, though. Perhaps that is the reason
we didn't, as you say, mention 1t. Would
you like to hear what 1t isi'
"Why, yes. You arouse my curiosity"
"It is ~ca]led-don't laugh-the profess
sion Of son-in-law."
"Mr. Clayton"
"I'd thought Of 1t, you know, some time
before Uncle Jim suggested 1t. Oh, yes.
But Uncle Jim, you see, smoothed the
way. Oh, he was quite taken with youf
photograph. He actually made conditions,
verbal, Of course, but equally binding,
that I should-well, I'll 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 meanY"
"You just now asked inc why ! didn't
travel. That means go abroad. Well, I've
made up my mind to go ~abroad-if you
Will 60 with meas my wife.
"George Clayton, Is this Q proposalY"
"Alida Searles, does 1t need a tagS"
"But there's father. He will never
consent to my marrying a-a-well, you
know, George, you are not very progresses
ing financially"
"You are quite mistaken about your
father. saw him first"
NV0n didpt