Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-04-24
Philip or any other man to Aisco7er

Philip or any other man to liscc7 er
them, but he strove against them in
vain. Never moment alone with
Gertrude could he find or obtain.
Even when they went upon photo
graphing expeditions together-both
being enthusiastic Photographic am
ateurs-they were invariably accom-
panied by Gertrude's brother Ben.
jamin, a spoiled youth of IA, his
mothers darling, and also badly af-
ficted with the picture-taking craze.
And yet it was through photo-
graphic process that Philip carried
out his will in regard to his inamo-
rata and circumvented her mothers
care.
The bright idea occurred to him one
Sunday afternoon, as he worked over
his newest lens, and he lost no time in
trying it. Carefully printing certain
legend upon transparent white paper,
he pinned the paper up against the
window-pane and went over it again.
more boldly and on the wrong side.
with a charcoal crayon. Then he at
tached the paper, still wrong side out.
wards, to the wall and photographed
the legend, backward. This he did
because characters of this kind, pho
tographed in the ordinary manner, are
always reversed upon the negative.
It is only in the printing that matters
become straight again, and it was in
the negative that Philip was particu-
larly interested.
He carried it with him when he
called upon Gertrude the following
evening. The Brewers were orthodox
people and he feared to try his plan
on Sunday. Gertrude fell in with it
as delightfully."- as innocently and ran
upstairs to her own little dark room
to develop the plate Immediately.
Philip had explained that he thought
she would understand the new expert
ment he wanted to share with her
more clearly if she herself developed
the negative. His heart gave a wild
jump when Ben, jamin announced that
he wanted to watch the development
also. But once more Gertrude came
to the rescue nobly, although quite
unconscious Of any need for so doing.
mo, Bonnie, you can't" she told him,
shutting the darkroom door with gen.
tie decision; you make me too nerv-
Gus when let you come in. I'll tell
you all about the experiment after
ward"
Philip really doubted that she would
keep her word, but he said nothing. 1t
needed all his self-control and patience
to talk commonplace calmly with Mrs.
Brewer until Gertrude returned.
The girl, meanwhile, had received n
startling shock.
'Metol-hydrol I suggest as devel-
oper," Philip had told her as she ran
upstairs with the plate holder contain
ing the experimental" negative, and
this agent she had accordingly pre-
pared. She rocked the little tray back
and forth for two or three minutes.
then exposed it to the rays of the red
lamp. Black and white values" are
also reversed upon Photographic
negative, so the message which stared
up at her was outlined in cleaning
white letters upon an ebony back
ground. And this was the message:
my Dearest Girl: Will you marry
me? Philip Maintenon."
The girl grew white and pink as she
read it. Then she laughed merrily and
sat down to consider. Ten minutes
later she went down to the parlor and
explained that Sc had broken the pre-
cious negative. Whether by accident
or design she did not say.
Philip coiored holly, and Mrs. Brew
er, plying his fancied disappointment
over the lost negative, took Gertrude
gently to task.
81 don't see how you could be so
careless, my daughter" she remon-
strated. Nobody knows how much
trouble Mr.. Maintenon may have taken
to secure the negative you have de-
stroyed. Can't you make it up to him
in soma way?"
II don't know, mamsie," answered
Gertrude, smiling and blushing ador-
ably as she turned her face away from
her mother and toward Philip, 81 don't
know. l shouldn't care to repeat the
experiment myself, even if knew how
to do so, which do not. But we might
possibly present him with some other
work of art. if you think best. Sup
pose we try
A sudden thought made her cheeks
burn yet more brilliantly, and she
took from the mantel a small plaster
figure of the convcntionalized "Chi-
cago," and offered it to Philip. And
whether by accident or design, again,
it would be difficult to say-her small
forefinger pointed to the inscription:
IL Will"