Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-07-05

nave denied us
ing their influence il they had been ac-
cused. And, anyway, neither would have
thought of accusing the other. The
Greshams and Davises lived in different
cities during the winter. but it so hap
pened that they had selected Ongiara as
the choicest spot on the great lakes fol
their summer outing. They had tried il
for the first time on the previous year,
and it was in that way that Jack
Gresham and Polly Davis first met. They
had met only a few times, but were sc
congenial THAT all winter they had been
thinking of each other, and it was due
to their influence exerted on their re-
spective families that the fitting took
place as early as May. And when they
met they Immediately began to act as
IL they had known each other for years
and had been in the habit Of meeting
every day. 1t is strange, but true, that
people who are acquainted and think
about each other a great deal find their
friendship ripens just as quickly when
they are apart as if they were associat.
ing daily.
Jack and Polly promptly began to en-
joy the beauties of Ongiara in company.
They organized botanizing parties of two,
went boating and fishing, and discovered
that at no time of the day is the air SO
fnvigorating or long walks so healthful
as in the early evening.
But, although they were inseparable
neither Of them was aware Of the fact,
for nothing had happened to make them
study the state of their hearts. or course
they were teased by their friends, but
they were so sure of the platonic char
acter of their friendship that they didn't
mind in the least. One evening about the
middle of June, however something un-
expected hanpenad-
Il have made up my mind" said Polly
as she swung in the hammock that Jack
kept in motion, ito celebrate the first
Fourth of July in the new century by
doing something unusual, though /
haven't decided yet what it shall be-"
"Well, you have plenty Of time to make
up your mind"
'Not SO very much-only about two
weeks"
About a year and two weeks, you
mean, don't you" said Jack.
Certainly not" Polly retorted, with a
slight show of temper. "Now, surely you
are not one of the cranks that try to
prove that the new century does not be-
gin till the beginning OF the year 1901"
"Oh, / don't know that am SO particu-
larly cranky in thinking so, and, anyway,
i have the majority of the world with
me-"
''Well. Matthew Arnold used to say
that the majority is always wrong, and it
most decidedly is in this case"
Il don't see how ON earth you can say
Tho io
pikestaff."
We'll, I'd like to have a look at that
pikestaf. | suppose the argument you
refer to IS the one about dollars and pay
ing them out one at time until you have
paid 100"
The tone in which this was said ex-
asperated Jack by its condescension, and
he answered in the same strain.
Not by any means. The argument |
use is much simpler and suited to any
grade Of intelligence"
Indeed" said Polly. Would you
mind prattling it outf"
Not in the least. Let us suppose that
we have 100 volumes of 365 pages each
and each divided into II chapters The
hrst volume would be volume /, and SO
on to volume 100, and if | started to
read them ! couldn't say that they were
all read until had completed the three
hundred and sixty-fifth page Of volume
100, and in the same way a century can
not be complete until the three hundred
and sixty fifth day of it's hundredth year
has elapsed"
That's no argument at ALL" said Pol
ly. Books and years are entirely diff
ferent things"
But each book represents a year"
mo 1t doesn't: not any more than
that COW out there on the commons does.
You surely have studied rhetoric even if
you haven't studied metaphysics" Pol-
ly was rather proud of her Wellesley ed
ucatiOn.) "And you should know that
you must never compare n thing that is
concrete with a thing that is abstract
Time is something abstract, and the
measurement of it should be compared
with another abstraction"
"Pm sure | don't know what on earth
you are talking about with your concrete
and abstract"
81 didn't suppose you would. But
have way Of explaining my position
that is also suited to every grade of in,
telligence"
Indeed" said Jack, recalling his own
angry remark and her reply to it.
would you mind prattling it for my
benefitF'
"Not in the least. | suppose you have
noticed that on my bicycle there is a
thing called cyclometer. 1t registers
the number of miles that | travel"
"WellY'
"When I travel one mile. it registers ],
~ it has registered 100 my first
completed. In the same way