El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-06

brm of his; scholarly hat
Eedora's face was suffuSed with sud-
den color. aud she gave an inarticulate
little murnur quite beyond interpreta-
ton.
There was an interval, during which
neither spoke for several minutes. The
professor was the first to break the
pause.
"MadIy, terribly, foolishly in love-"
he said, emphasizing the last adverb
| as though it included the sum total of
human imbecility. Fedora shot at him
| q glance of bewilderment.
"To think" she said, making a
| mental observation, that he could be
| SO violent"
There was another pause. She dug
one dainty hand into tie soft turf and
looked at him shyly out of the corner
of her eye. The professor spoke again.
What do you think of it?" he asked
abruptly, his gaze resting upon her
face with suppressed eagerness.
'I-don't know She said it slowly
and blushed as she spoke. A mingled
expression of doubt and perpleXity be
came visible on the professors face as
he waited for her to go on.
But Fedora remained silent, her eyes
resting dreamily upon little white
cloud drifting across the horizon.
The situation was growing awkward
The professor felt that his grasp was
slipping away from him and went on.
q little anXiously:
you know about such things girls
generally do. Tell ,me-what shall l
do?''
He toyed nervously with a dead twig
as he spoke and searched her face mar
rowly for encouragement
Fedora reflected for a moment, then
nodded with decision.
ut depends she said dryly, fixing
her eyes upon his with a serious look.
"Yes?" The professor turned to her
with a quick smile.
Fedora pondered again, then dropped
her eyes half timidly and twisted the
corner of her handkerchief.
''On-the other one, you know-the
girl she went on, with a soft blush.
The professor gaZed at her in silence.
his kind eyes full of perplexity.
"Does she-care for you?" asked Fee
dora in low voice. looking away.
That's precisely the point" said he.
pushing back his hat. Il want to find
out"
us she pretty?"
"Beautifulr' replied the professor.
with enthusiasm. ''She has the most
magnificent brown eyes in the world
and hair-how do they say in novels
like spun gold, that's it," he concluded
tmpulsively, his eyes aglow.
Fedora's cerulean orbs were sudden
ly misty, and her dusky brown head
was averted.
There was silence for a few mo-
mentS- After 4 little she leaned for
ward to pick a flower, her heart throb-
bling violently, and the color faded
from her face.
The professor drew a long breath ana
sighed. ''She doesn't give me any ell
couraSement," he ventured, regarding
her with a questioning, half wiStful
look.
Perhaps" said Fedora family, as if
to herself, "she cares for some one
else"
The professor stared at her in con
sternation.
Il never-thought-of- he said
slowly, dismay stealing into his tones
as his eyes sought hers with an intense
look as though searching her inmost
soul.
The pause that followed was unbro-
ken for some moments. Finally he
spoke.
Il hOpe-yOu have not made a mis-
take" he said. rising to go, because
it meant so much to me-everything"
He was looking down upon her, and
there was something in his eyes she
had never seen there before.
..rTharo & oplv ono wav-fO find ont
she said, speaking heroically, but with
a dreary little smile.
The professors face frightened.
"Well?" said he, almost holding his
breath.
The girl did not Immediately reply.
Something seemed to clutch at her
throat.
Presently she lifted her eyes-suspi-
ciously bright-to his and said slowly.
her voice half tremulous:
"JuSt tell her-in a straightforward.
manly way that yOu-love-her and
want a-serious answer
She dropped her eyes suddenly as she
encountered his look not easy to
evade.
There was an inaudible stiffness. Fee
dora was looking away like one in Il
dream, her hands lying cold and pas
sive in her lap.
The sunshine circled about her red
brown head in shimmering rainbow.
The professor looked across at her.
his eyes full of unexpected admiration.
his hands knotted close together.
After awhile he leaned suddenly to-
ward her and with a quick movement
seized both her hands in his own.
Fedora, l love you. Will you marry
me?'
The girl gave him a swift, startled
glance, and the color famed to her
cheeks, while the tears and smiles