St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-08-17

| the man she married must be one who
had "a work. to do in the world.
/ One good quality about Jack Long
was the fact that he was persistentand
hopeful, and he never for a minute
gave up the idea Of winning the girls
consent at some time. But he and
1.-THE other fellows agreed that she was
d sad firt.
Then something providential hap
1pened A log hotel stood On the
flake shore close to the Longs cottage.
It was patronized chiefly by hunters
i and fishermen, who came up for a
week or two at a time, and Jack and
his college friends had found plenty
of good fellows among them. One
lnight when they dropped into the ho-
sel Office they were startled to see
none other than Prof. Thomas Frs
kline Hope. The professor was sit
ing in q big chair with his back to
hem, and when the boys had made
certain they were not mistaken, they
slipped cut Of the hotel without a
word. Here was a heaven sent oppor-
tunity for them to get even with
skinny How would they do it?
They might send him to Coventry =
but that would probably suit him ex-
actly.
Isuppose, said Frank Elliot, who,
next to Jack, was the widest man in
the class Of '01, athat old Skinny has
come up here to study coniferous
cryptograms in their native haunts.
If We let him alone that'll be just
hat be wants. We've got to get up
some other scheme to make him miser-
able.
1t took until midnight to decide on
plan ofaction. When the boys went
to bed they were agreed that poor old
skinny would soon be @up against
it." They had a scheme which they
were sure would result in his undoing.
They could hardly wait until morn
ling to try it on.
Now, at college Prof. Thomas Ers-
kline Hope was noted sthe most mod
est and retiring Of men. At sight of a
woman he blushed, and he almost re-
signed his chair when coeducation was
introduced into the college. The
plan of the eonspirators was based on
their knowledge Of this fact. They
would go over to the hotel in the
morning and welcome the dear pro-
fessor" with the @glad hand They
would insist on his coming over to
the cottage, where he would be pre-
sented to Miss Fanny and her girl
friends, and, By way Of preparing !
pleasant time for him, they would tell
the girls in advance what was on
deck.
aAnd If he once gets his eyes on
Helen Harvey" said Frank Elliot,
ahell never have another quiet mo
ment, eh, Jack p
Next morning the plan was car
ried out. It worked to perfection.
The poor professor blushed and stam-
mered when he was presented to the
array Of girls, and he almost had a
fit when Miss Helen sat down beside
him and asked about his work. The
eorspirators went out into The woods
and almost exploded with laughter
when they heard skinny accept an
invitation to stay to luncheon at the
cottage
That afternoon the plot thickened
The professor did not go cut to study
eonifers until four o'clock. When be
started Miss Helen Harvey went with
him, carrying basket and troWel
1t was almost dinner-tlme when they
came back, and Helen appeared in
tensely interested. She insisted that
the professor stay to dinner.
We've found three rare varieties :
she said at the table, "and Prof. Hope
is going to show me how to identify
them after dinner"
The professor and Miss Helen
worked over their books and speci-
mems until after fen o'clock that
night, and when the somewhat wor-
ried Jack went to ask Helen TO come
out in the moonlight and sing he was
told to run along and don't bother.
Next day the professor and Helen had
another engagement to look for conf
fers, and they spent the evening
again poring over their specimens.
The boys felt that their joke was
rather getting away from them. Jack
put on a playful manner and ventnred
to remark TO Helen one morning a
couple of weeks later that she was
leading Skinner merry chase :
To his astonishment the Young Eom-
an flushed up rosy red and declared
that if he was alluding.to Prot. Hope