Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-11-22
--llAl'1 D. 2 : M !

IVA pretty that she might have ESxET5 been pardoned If she had felt &S&Sky that she was fulfilling her purpose in the divine plan by merely existing. s;ut a strain of almost nor bid conscientiousncss drawn from a long line of New England forbears pre- vented her from taking such a simple view of the problems of life.
 "No, Herbert" she said in the course of an animated dispute with MT. Mat teson, "I cannot turn my back upon the promptings of duty. I have been thoroughly educated-eXpensivel edu- cated at least-as you know. More than that, I'm a specialist. 1 went from college to Professor Arbuthnot's laboratory. There aren't ten women in the country who know zoology as 1 know 1t. Professor Arbuthnot has often said that If Maud Jones and wasted tho chance he gave us and threw away the pains he took with us by getting married he'd never bother with another woman as long as he lived. He's right. I have a duty to him, to the students who come after me, to the community. l cannot turn back from my task. I shall not even seek professional chair. I shall teach young children in the common schools who need me- You do not. You have your factory to attend to, your mother and sisters"--
 "Confound my sisters! No, I don't mean that exactly. They're we'll enough, my sisters are; but l don't want another Somehow I can't get vNI,i iIoy 10 ideas. Here are you and l, plainly de- signed to be married, and some mil lions of children equally destined to grow up in happy ignorance of bugs and butterflies. Instead of marrying me you go off to teach them lower forms of animal life. Result--I'm mis- erable. you're lonely, they're disgusted. .Unhappiness all round and not soul the better for 1t. You don't need to do 1t either"
 Not for money-no But here in Massachusetts there are plenty of girls for all the men who wish to marry. There'll be fewer supcr1uOus women by one if I go to work. Society has made great sacrifices and gifted men have spent their lives to prepare me for working To be perfectly frank, think 1 am fit for something better, 1ndustrlally, than sewing on buttons."
 Don't doubt 1t; but l refuse to con sider you industriaIly," observed Mat teson.
 "Ah, yes," cried the girl, throwing her head proudly back, "a toy In gllded cage-tlred of, probably, as soon as won; that's the mans idea of matrI- mony! Don't argue with me, Herbert. It's breaking my heart to send you away, but I must do 1t, and l beg you, oh. 1 beg you, not to make it harder for mel"
 At this outbreak Matteson began to look uncomfortable. His silence reused in Diana's mind the hope that he was convinced by her cogent argument-a hope which proved that, much as she knew about invertebrata, she was lit tie versed in the ways of the higher mammalia. For Motteson, q bullet headed ex-right tackle with a magnifi cent record in ground gaining and in terference, was by no means quit ter" Nevertheless he kept silent for some moments, md when he spoke his words were honeycd guile.
 "I'll tell you what I'll do," he said slowly. "I'll go away and not see you again unless you send for me, if you'll kiss me goodby."
 "Not sec you again?" cried Diana Talbot aghast "But don't want"-
 "I think 1t would be best" said Mat teson gravely. "Your duty prevents your marrying me. Then I must learn to forget you-the sooner the better. You cannot expect to refuse me as a husband and keep me as lover. or even as a friend. You mustn't mako it harder for me. Goodbyv'
 He rose to go.
 Pale and panting she confronted him. Then, flinging her arms about his neck. she kissed him passionatcly.
 "Go, go" she cried, and, turning about, she fled from the room.
 Matteson looked after her reflective. ly and then took his departure In fair ly good spirits for a rejected lover.
 It was only a few days after this that Nepontic became aware of an as founding rumor that Herbert Matteson had mystcriously disappeared. AS he was the most important individual in the place-shops, professional men and even churches being almost dependent upon the weekly pay roll of the Nepon- tic Milling company, of which he was president-the news caused a sensation
 Many were the queries addressed to Arthur Ranlline, the treasurer of the mills, a pleasant faced young college chum and personal friend of Matte son. Of course. because of these re lations. he put the best possible face upon the situation.
 ''I do not know where Mir Matteson is," he would say when he felt called upon to say anything. 'T presume he went away on private business, but he said nothing to me about its nature. As for the mills, of course it makes hot the slightest difference"
 "Oh. of course"
 / Nevertheless inc reDIy horame mo.