The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-05

that / do not mind confessing that
was one of them for a few dismal years.
Not one of the complacent, happy ones,
either
To begin with. ] took up medicine
comparatively late in life. They had
made an architect of me. but l soon
found myself kicking vigorously
against that honorable profession.
After a deal of persuasion / was al
lowed to enter as a student at Barts,
and for two years worked hard
read good deal at the British
museum, like other fellows, from the
Sth of August, 1SS--, always at the B IL
seat.
Why. you ask, always at that place?
Well, because it was on that date
that the most charming little woman
ever saw first came and occupied the
seat marked b II. I hoped she would
keep to that seat, and 50 she did. The
pile of books she used daily staggered
me, and. of course. it would have been
troublesome to alter the indications on
all her reference slips If she had
changed or been ousted from B IL.
From the 9th of August, 1SS- it was
generally toss up which Of us was the
first reader to appear in the reading
room. The assistants often smiled.
Her name was Bella Whitcombe.
learned that very soon. An official left
one of her slips on my table by mis-
take. 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 i'm returning the slip to her
with a smile Then she smiled back at
me with those sweet brown ewes Of
hers, and remarked, What q nuisance!
| did so want it,"
After this we often exchanged words.
Trivial words! Any pretext was good
enough for me that procured me
glance or a smile from her.
did not get on at all with studies.
If 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 see Bella every day than
pass with distinction at the cost Of
severance from her.
Blissful, lazy, heart-aching, anxious
hours! Day after day, from half-past
nine until three, with an interval of
lHTte-QudTleTS OI nOut lOl
Bella was brought to the Museum
every morning by a maid; the maid
took her off for lunch, and the maid
was always waiting among the pigeons
under the portico from five minutes to
three in the afternoon.
There was no getting rid of that pre-
cious abominable domestic.
When we had know each other a
month / proposed Git was a wild, fool
ish thing to do) to accompany her tow
ards Bayswater on an omnibus. The
maid was to go inside, she and I out
side. But it was no go.
my father wouldn't like 1t, Mr..
Marrable," she said, with q sympa-
thetic smile.
1 tried whispering conversations
about the weather, text books, exams,
and 30 on, but, to say nothing OF the
frowns l raised on other studious
faces and a formal protest from the
gentleman on his throne in the middle
of the room, Bella did not greatly en-
courage me.
II am here to work." she wrote on a
slip at one time and pushed this tow
ards me.
1t will hardly be credited, but
ostentatiously put that slip to my
lips ana then folded it and placed II
in my watch pocket-the heart pocket.
How she looked at me when / did
this. An ordinary girl would have gig
gled. She did not giggle, and thence
forward her smiles were not quite
what they had been. The pensive SER
iousness in them, however, made her
more and more dear to me. Even
when, for joke, recommended her
to ask for Spencer on Shoulder
Blades"-a well known absurdity-she
only gave me a little reproving nod
of her pretty head. with the bronze
colored hair and the tiny shell ears.
So it went on until November, when
I could bear 1t no longer. 1 knew
less about surgery and medicine than
in July.
II must speak to you at luncheon, :"
l 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. 1 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 Phillip" she added q was
holding her hand; we had wandered
into Greek statuary room, where
there was no soul else). 'it must all
depend upon my father. II you salts
fy him, / shall be a very happy girl"
The Greek statues had, / daresay,
seen great many people kiss each
other two or three thousand years ago
but they never saw more earnest ex-
change of such tokens of affections
than ours.
Tomorrow, dear" said Bella. "at II
o'clock would be the best time for
him."