Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-05-01
A LITTLE GEOLOGY
Copyright, 1902, by G. B. Lewis.l

copyright, 1902, by c. B. Lewis
What brought Professor Compton to
the summer hotel for several weeks
sojourn was the study of geology in the
neighborhood. What brought TIE Wild
ow Clingllam there was the study of
man. She wasn't saying word to
any of her friends, but she had decided
to get married again whenever the
right man came along. The right man
needn't be a millionaire, as she had
considerable money of her own, but
he must have attachments and name
and be III position to help her carry
out her social ambitions. When she
first set eyes on Professor Compton, she
was full of ridicule for him. He was
a bachelor forty-fye years old; he was
tall, ungainly and absentminded; he
wore his clothes as an Indian wears
his blanket, and his manners We're odd
and eccentric. The widow at first
passed him over with disdain and con-
tempt, but later on, when she heard
that his works on the formation of the
earth, the drift period, the iron age and
the carboniferous period had given
him worldwide reputation, she
changed her mind.
There We're times when the professor
talked to her chair or over her head and
seemed oblivious of her presence, and
there were times when he fell over her
train or asked her for a match to light
his cigar, but she excused those trifles
for the sake of genius. In due time
she decided to go in and win. The
professor couldn't be captured by the
usual articles employed by her sex,
but would have to be taken by storm,
as it We're. She decided how the storm
was to be worked and set about it.
One day when the widow knew that
the professor had planned to wander
over certain old field and look for
evidences of the Niagara period she
put on her hat and got ahead of him
by half an hour. The professor reach
ed the field to find her up a tree and
an old bull charging up and down and
believing his disappointment. The
widow was weeping and shouting for
aid. The professor stopped to pick up
and examine a rock which bore I'M
doubted evidences of the Chemung
period and then headed for the tree.
At the same time the bull headed for
him, and it was a nip and tuck race.
AS the bull was handicapped by
sore foot and the loss of one eye he
only got second place-that is, the pro-
fessor was seated on the limb beside
the widow before the old bovine am
bled up to an outcrop of the Catskills
period and fell over it and came down
on his back like brick house. Owing
to the widows agitation it was posi-
lively necessary for the professor to
put his arm around her waist, and to
| further soOthe and calm her he quietly
observed:
There is no occasion for alarm. We
have simply been pursued by species
of the genus hos. Taurus is also one
OF the twelve signs of the zodiac"
But it is terrible, terrible" gasped
| the widow as she nestled under his
arm. you won't leave me to be gored
to death by the monster, will youy'
Certainly not. We derive the name
bull from bulle, bolls, bull, boil, bauli
bullus. bollis. The name is applied to
the male of any bovine quadruped. 4
| nave not given much attention to the
subject, but l am Of the opinion that
the bull made it's first appearance dur
Ing the trassic period"
How nice it is to know so much!'
sighed the widow as she cuddled stiA
closer.
Yes" absently replied the profess
or.
"And how proud your wife would
4 be of your
Yes, if had one
"But why--why''-
Why don't l have one? My dear
Mrs. bingham, l have been thinking
that is, have been wondering-that
is"
Il am so fustratedw she gasped as
she pressed her hands to her heart.
"As l was saying, have been think.
ing that il could find"-
i He found it-that is, in shifting about
on the limb he lost his hold, and pro.
fessor and widow swayed backward
and fell to the ground, ten feet below
In chorus. They came down with a
thud and bump, and the professor