Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-06-19
CHAPTER xi.-tcon.inued.)


He thought little ard began once
more with one OF Moore's short love
songs, and a second. and still third
time he made new choice before the
humor seized him to desIst or her TO
speak. Then they chanced To look up
at the same moment and to perceive
that the professors head had fallen
forward on his breast and that he was
no longer smoking.
HE Is asleep" said Eleanor. In n
whisper. Then. as she watched the
electrician lay the banjo sortly beside
him. she added with enthusiasm: 1T
must be an endless delight to bc able
TO sing like that"
1T IL a relaxation to- me from my
work. at any rate. Your uncle seems
to like to hear me. and none OF the
ncishbors have complained as yet"
Eleanor. shrouded In the hammock,
was able to peep at him through the
network without being observed. The
moonlight fell upon him in such way
that his features were thrown Into re-
lief. They were refined and suggested
a sensitive temperament. Eleanor said
to h.rEeif that he Was huy.foid more
interesting to her than Owen Pas. and
the other young men with whom she
had associated during the past year.
There was. moreover. something shy
and unkophiHticatcd abou, this one.
which gave her sense OF eomposurc
which IL was rather pleasant To feel.
Have you lived here long. Mr.
siruthcrs!-' she asked.
Only about six months In this
house. hut was born and brought up
In the city. Last summer was sEadu'
a,si from the school Of ts!nss."
SO you have begun your iite'woEk."
hhs replied. wlstiuiiy.
II am immensely Interested in cice'
tElciiy. Sooner or later hope 10 OBJ
tain a position either with some large
concern iha, puts In electrical plants
or regular -mpioymcn a. n consulting
engineer In such Matters
Hs spoke with a direct simplicity
that attracted Eleanor. lie seemed 50
modest and y-, go scitr-llaat ~i,hai.
Then ~c arc somrSha, similarly
situated" shs ~as tempted ,o reply:
'oniy you have your work already In
a mcaRar, provided and mapped out.
and am s,lll an idlcF peTfoE..."
'fou." h. calculated. ~andcFinEiy.
sh. enjoyed his asionishmea, for a
moment without responding. thea she
said:
you did no, know. thea. that I was
looking for a rpsi,ion.''
lie became confused. and IL was
plain ,ha, he vas nnnplussrd. doubt
full whether she vas bautcrins him or
no. Again she waited. fading his cm.
baFFass-d silence and almost dis.
tF-sssi nirn delicious. by ~ay of con.
trast to the scnerrrd audaci,y o. tho
young men who visited her Aunt En-.
ma.
yes. I am going to hc a teacher:
that IL. II any one will engage me. I
have come here to ask my uncle abou,
u. lie does not know as yet. ! should
like a position in college " possible.
so that I might become a professor In
time. n were a, for i,. hut I am
ready to begin at the bottom of the
ladder. and accept anything that of.
fcrs. Does the idea shock you. Mr.
S,ru,hcTs!'
shock met Why should i,7-' he
said. simply. "Only-" he added.
and then prccipita,eiy halted. while
renewed discontinue betrayed itself
on his cheeks.
only what. Mr. struthcrs7" Eleanor
asked. with a delighted laugh.
For a moment he hcsitatcd. then
suddenly raising his eyes. he an
svercd:
only I had no, supposed you TO be
that Kind of young lady"
And what kind of young lady
had you supposed me TO be. Mr.
Struthers7"
He evidently realized that his bold
ness had merely drawn him on the
thinner ice, for he seemed To undergo
contortions before her ihterruEatury
and Laughing glance. She had raised
herself in the hammock as she spoke.
and was looking full at him. hut II
plainly was not his wont to rescue
himself from peril by sub,crfuge. for
after a moment Of aEunizcd confusion,
he said. with the same directness as
before:
II assumed you were rich. and that
II would not have occurred TO you to
do anything of that SORT
"In other words. you took me for
a frivolous butterfly Of fashion,
Eleanor was sorry the moment she
had spoken. and realized the nippancy
OF neT Icinhth tne UltIe h'eHAf ds ne
answered in tone that was free from
any suggestion that he was Furnishing
his tormentor:
"it does not follow. does It. because
one is rich. that one has to be frivol.
Gus butterhy?r'
There was a naive searching for
truth in the interrogative form of his
reply. and the sole evidence of intcn.
tional satire lay in the fact that he
returned her gaze without ninching.
Even the wounded worm will turn.
II deserve the rebuke. Mr.. Struth.
ers But am neither rich nor a but.
terfy. hope. Since | have said so
much. I should enlighten you exactly
as to the truth. suppose you meant
that because I have a more or less
prosperous air. 1t was fair TO assume
that IL was not necessary for me to
earn my own living. Well. in one
sense II is not | have an uncle-an-
other uncle-who is very rich. be