The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-08-25
like other desperate men, a rival not to

| tedIu Ga Jugs IL 1ulCe IL IlllngS,"
said Uncle Nate Arkwright from the
armchair by the grocery stove 81 do
know wut the worlds comm t. these
days. In my time mos any girl ID
Jump half out'n her skin t. git man
like Bert Matteson, yit yere this Talbot
gal, she goes a-palaverin' round tryin'
| t. git hor O. other folks childer t.
teach 'em lot O. follolls m contrap-
tons, m even willin' t. take a roomatic
OF cuss like John Hawkins throwed in
if she en- git a few OIL 'em. I'm a good
min t. git my OF courtin' suit out'n
the attic m go n cut i'm out myself!'
'Go in and win, Uncle Nate" said
Bub Salisbury.
eff All had gal lax dat All spank him,
mabbe two, tree tam week, quaite
strong" said Antoine lie Caron, but no
one paid the slightest attention to his
disciplinary ideas.
II wonder the OF fool amt got no
more sense 'imself,' Lie Curry ven
| tured at last.
"He amt in no ways t. blamc,' said
Uncle Nate emphatically. "She done
most O. the courtin' herself, they do
| say, jes' t. git hop O. them childer.
Wants t. learn 'em about bugsv' And
Uncle Nate spat COMPREHENSIVE at
the box Of sawdust "'S for John Haw-
kins, he'd do wuss'n that t. git shet
O. them young ones. Can't do nothin'
with 'em-John he can't. Johnny's
terror, he is. IN We know wut hi'ed
help is nowadays"
An answering murmur of cordial as
sent greeted this appealing statement
+
Nothing is too astonishing to be
true, SUPPOSE" said Matteson, as he
paused on DR.. Talbot's front porch to
mop his forehead The day was warm
and sunny and there was a sweet
smell Of poisoning wild currants in
| the air.
"How we'll you are looking, Mr.. Mat
teson," said Diana Talbot. "Shall we
sit upon the porch? It's pleasant to-
day"
"When see you-yes, it's pleasant
Tell me, is it: true, as they say in the
village, that you're going to marry old
Hawkins for the sake of a ready made
zoology clasp"
She flushed. "Mr. Hawkins is only
sixty-seven," she said, "and an estima-
bic man. I find that he sympathizes
with my views on many points. He
is surprisingly liberal in his way of
looking at things
'Is he going to let you teach?"
II have no opportunity here" she
said, with some hauteur, land since
mothers death I hardly like to go to
another town and leave father alone.
But Mr.. Hawkins has no objection to
my prosecuting original research
''In the vast leisure remaining after
looking out for five small children and
two old men?" queried Matteson. "How
generous You could have more time
as my wife, if that's ALL
no. she said, "you would consent
to anything now, but you are flippant.
You do not sympathize with me deeply,
seriously, as he does. You would ridi-
Guile and interrupt my life work. Per-
haps it is written that am to remain
an investigator rather than a teacher.
And he is lonely and-but I have not
yet decided. I have not given him an
answer
II hope" Matteson began, choosing
his words carefully, that you will de-
lay your decision as long as possible
and try to see if you have not duties
of your own now, without assuming
new ones that do not at present con-
Germ you. You have your duty to your
self. This passion for self abnegation
is morbid and unwholesome. You have
your duty to me. You have a duty to
the generation that has reared and ed
ucated you to remain in it and not be
drafted into generation that has had
its day. You can ruin my life if you
will. You can ruin your own. shan't
say much now, for can't trust my
self to speak. can only beg you not
to be in haste in your decision. Good
by, dearest-I must call you that-good-
BY"
And again he stood facing her, ready
to go.
AS Matteson presently swung off
down the path toward the gate Miss
Talbot was conscious of bitter disap-
pointment that his call had been so
brief and, if the truth must be told,
that this time he had not offered to
kiss her. If he had swept her into his
big arms and crushed her against his
chest, if he had rained kisses on her
face and poured endearing words into
her ears, resistance would have been
simply out Of the question. Like many
another young man in love, he was en-
| tirely too cautious.
Besides, the interview had taken
place on the front porch of DR.. Talbot's
house, which was set on hill and
could not be hid. 1t was most unfortu-
| nate.
Arthur" said Matteson as he burst
into the mill Office few minutes later,
Il fear another of my famous de-
bauches is due about now. This time
I'll tell you beforehand where I'm go
ing, because you may need to use the