Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-07-20
The President


Donald Hubbard, a young professor
In college for deaf mutes, determined
TO spend his summer vacation in com
pany with another member of the fac
ulty, Maurice Dexter, in Europe. In
order to be free from the cares of trav-
Ell the two friends joined one of those
touring parties the managers of which
send people off like children in care of
nurse. They found it convenient
during their travels when speaking on
subjects in which they desired not to
he overheard to use the sign language,
with which. of course, both were per-
fectly familiar; not that they were oh
trusive in this respect. for they were
careful not to thus converse with their
fingers in company, only using II when
no one was very near them.
One day on the steamer going out
they were walking the deck. The
weather was rough-they were moving
against a strong northeaster-and very
few passengers were in their steamer
chairs. The wind interfered with their
hearing, so they naturally fell into "fin-
ger talk" Hubbard was speaking:
81 suppose all of us unwedded men
have our ideas of marriage so far as it
pertains to us individually. In my own
case l consider it dependent upon two
things-first, would know the girl
would marry on sight; second propin-
quity-that is, must be thrown a good
deal in her company"
Ibid you ever decide on sight that
you would marry girl?'
81 have already met with such a
case. Do you see that girl over there
reading a magazine? Well. as soon as
I laid eyes on her I felt that I could
pass my life with her happily"
"Then why not try to get her? Your
first requirement has been reached,
and the second is likely to be realized.
You will probably be together on this
trip for two months"
THAT is exactly what l propose to
do"
The two men soon after adjourned
to the smoking cabin, passing the girl
in question, who still had her eyes
glued to the magazine. Hibbard soon
after secured an introduction and be-
gan to pay her occasional attentions
These she received calmly, as she
would those of any one she might meet
travelling and did not expect to meet
after the trip was finished. Neverthe-
less she never stunned them, and Hib-
bard found in her a great storehouse
of food for conversation. He never
wearied when in her company, and his
friend Dexter found him quite dull
when he was not with her. Indeed.
before the vessel reached the French
coast Hibbard and the lady We're at
least boon companions. They made a
tour of Switzerland and northern Italy,
and on reaching the steamer for their
return were considered by the other
members of the touring party to be
engaged.
That they were not was no fault of
Hibbard's, for he had proposed at
ChamouniX while the highest peaks of
the Alps looked down on them. The
young lady had not refused him. she
had simply declined to give an answer
until after their arrival in America.
Whether this was because she had not
made up her mind that she loved him
/
or doubted the constancy of his feel
ings for her she did not tell him. and
he remained in ignorance Of her rea-
son. The voyage homeward was nat
urally period of profound suspense
to Hibbard, but no reasoning or plead
ing would induce the lady to alter her
resolution, and he was obliged to suf-
fer.
They returned to their respective
homes, Hubbard to New York and she
to Albany, where she lived a part of
the time. At parting he endeavored to
persuade her to fix date for him to
go to her and receive his answer but
she declined to give him any satisfac-
ton. When they parted he did not
know that she would ever send for
/ him.
Hubbard. being dependent on a small
salary, concluded that the lady feared
he might not be able to give her a liv
ing except on the borders of poverty.
But this was surmise He reached
home Il month before his college duties
were to commence and two weeks
later received a letter from an institu-
ton in Boston similar to the one in
which he taught offering him II much
larger salary than he was receiving.
He took a train for Boston the same
evening and in the morning was usher
ed into the office of the president of
the institution that had made the offer.
A woman sat writing at a desk with
her back to him. Presently she arose
and turned.
Hubbard saw the girl with whom he
had made the tour.
She came forward, tinge of red in
her cheek.
'The PRESIDENT" exclaimed her
lover.
The president. ! have built and en-
dowed this institution. ! had sister
who was a deaf mute and thus became
interested In this work.
And you used the sign language in
your family?" exclaimed the professor,