El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-06
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IN THE APPLE ORCHARD
How n Professor Made Love and q
Mistake at the Same Time.


big sun hat, color box and palette in
hand, sauntered out into the orchard
and sat down under the shade of an
apple tree. a light breeze stirred the
boughs, on which the sunlight cleaned
in great gold patches, and countless
song birds darted from limb to limb,
making the air vocal with their music.
One plump. red breasted fellow
perched himself directly in front of
Fedora and with head on one side re-
garded her intently.
The girl returned his gaze first with
amusement, then with interest and
finally with sudden inspiration. She
selected a crayOn from her box and
dexterously jotted down a few out
lines. Then she consulted the bright
bits of color she had placed on her
palette and with a sweep here and
there of her long paint brush trans
ferred the nucleus of her small feather
ed observer to a sketch card : She held
it up to the light and looked at it crit
ically for a moment, then laid it on
the long grass beside her and leaned
back against the trunk of the tree, her
hands crossed loosely behind her head,
her eyes resting in dreamy contempla
ton on the cleaning fields beyond
Above her the faint ruStling of the
wind in the leaves drowned the silence
Presently Il shadow cut across the
glimmering sunlight. Fedora glanced
up, and a faint color tinged her cheeks.
1t was the professor.
eff you are too busy he begap,
looking down at her a little obviously
'Oh, no." she broke in quickly, smil-
ing up at him as she spoke. Il am
never busy Fedora prided herself
upon that accomplishment. DO sit
down." she went on. with a bright
look, pointing to the grassy plot oppo-
site her. The professor hesitated for
moment then suddenly complied
with the request.
a nice day" he remarked careless
ly as he sat down.
Charming returned Fedora, sur
veying him, with IL smile. 1t had sud
denly dawned upon her that the pro-
fessor was 4 sngularly good looking
man to be so old-almOst 10 And in
spite of his twoScore years she found
herself looking with approval, almost
admiration, into his deep, clear eyes,
above which the thick masses of brown
hair waved back from an intellectual
forehead. (AlI professors have intel
lectual foreheads.)
81 don't like to interrupt YOU" he
said, with a doubtful glance a t the in
cipient sketch and Fedora's small
paint stained fingers, but there is
something 1 wanted to say" he went
on, Juggling at his watch charm.
Really She gave a little cough
and turned her eyes eXpectantly upon
him.
''Its-it's important" faltered the
professor awkwardly, meeting her
gaze.
Fedora broke into a little soft laugh,
and two dimples came into her face.
whats the matter?" he said, look
ing at her in establishment, suspicion
arising in his mind that he was being
reated with unnecessary levity.
You looked $3.50 serious" she re-
piled, with such charming little grim
ace and look so profoundly innocent
that the professor Immediately dis
missed his suspicion as unworthy.
IF you don't mind, though" he pur-
sued, little uneasily, his eyes on her
face, Il would rather you would not
that you would be a little serious
Yes, certainly" assented Fedora.
with alacrity, pulling straight face,
but with glimmer of a smile showing
about her mouth. Then the professor
cleared his throat and went on with
a slight hesitation:
Il have 81 proposition" He stopped
short and looked at her in a helpless
sort of way
sAh, l seer she exclaimed, with
merry laugh. And you want the-hy-
pothesis?"
Precisely So" returned the profess
OF, his face Frightening. He thought
that his task would not be a difficult
one with such an appreciative young
woman.
"And now to the point" he contin
ued, giving her serious look.
"a point indicates mere position and
has no magnitude" interposed Fedora
fippantly.
Il suppose not" replied the professor
with slight sternnsss- But it is not Il
problem in geometry this time" he
concluded, the CLINT of smile hover
ing about his lips, his voice calm
oh" exclaimed the girl with wide
eyes, as she folded both hands in her
lap and fixed upon him a look of grave
attention.
He shifted his position little, pulled
at a tuft of grass, then looked across
at her with sudden resolution and
poke. "Suppose-that-a- man"-
The professor stopped short and
cleared his throat again in discon-
certed sort of way.
Fedora met his gaze with a mis-
chievous smile and chewed the end of
her long paint brush.
"Well?'' she said, dropping her chin
into one small hand.
THAT a man is
"YeS?'
s.WaII-in love Won know" he blucI-