Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-10
NUMBER TO-.
Tie professor beamed.

-
"Ald of course they'll go to house.
keeping. Ramsay has always said that
II he were married he'd have an apart
ment."
There will be furniture to see to.
and china and kitchen ware, but the
dear children are so engrossed with
their love affair that they haven't time
for anything practical"
I'VE might look up the things before
hand, and then when the young people
are ready give them the benefit OF our
superior wisdom" the professor sug-
gested.
After that. on Saturday afternoons.
he and Miss Eustis roamed to far parts
of the city to furniture, china and pic
ture stores and to brass shops down
on the east side.
There were bookstores, too. where
the professor reveled. What, he ques-
toned, could give more cheerful as
poets to room than volumes OF limp
red leather and andirons Of hammered
brass. They even found an apartment
which combined the amazing trilogy
Of cheapness, beauty and light.
It was when they were secretly re-
joicing over this discovery that the
bomb fell. Miss Brent accosted Miss
Eustis at the hour Of kimonos and
candlestlcks.
"I've come to tell you." she said SIM
ply. that I'm going to be married"
II knew Il all along dear" said lit
tie Miss Eustls, and kissed her. The
professor and I consider Mr. Sturgis a
splendid fellow"
Amazed laughter broke In ripples
across the face Of Helena.
"Alr. Sturgis~ she cried. "Why. how
perfectly funny! Didn't you know he
was engaged to girl out westf he
told me so the first night ever met
him. And he knows my fiance. Mr.
Holbrook. That's what we used to
talk about when we went walking"
"Then you were nothing-ever-but
just-friends?" Miss Eustis' voice was
very faint. She was wondering dimly
how she was ever to break the news
to the professor.
Nothing but friends" echoed Hele-
M Brent, and, with an cdd little
twitch Of her lips, she bent and kissed
Miss Eustis again.
At breakfast Miss Eustis intlmated
to the professor that she had some
thing to tell him which was OF su-
preme Importance. and they sought
the nearest avenue Of the park.
Spring was In the land. The green
grass was like verdant shadow on
the brown earth. and by the fountains
sparrows were twittering noisily An
ungovernable lump rose In Miss Eus-
tis' throat. The only romance at which
she had ever assisted was at an end.
Briefly she told the professor, while
he listened. agitated, disappointed and
dismayed.
"Then It's all over?" he said.
"All over"
"And | had thought Of them in their
own home with all the things we chose
around them"
"Oh, so had L."
The professor looked at Miss Eustis.
He had been realizing of late how
pretty she had grown, with the dell
cate, fragile prettiness Of late sum-
mer rose.
1t came to him with n sudden, star
tling wrench that he would miss their
walks and drives as he had missed
nothing else in his meager, lonely life.
There rose before him the vision OF the
house that they had planned together.
His hand closed over hers.
elizabeth" he said, las matchmak-
ers we're a distinct failure. unless
you're willing to retrieve it by marry
Ing me. For. after all, that house that
we dreamed Of Is our house. Car
hearts and souls went into it. not
theirsw
She had meant to light the flame for
others. Instead It had been lighted
for her. She gave the professor an IL
lumined look.
II believe 1t Is so, John" she said
softly. "But. Oh" she added mo-
ment later, they'll say it was they.
not we. who made the match!'
"Let them say" returned the pro-
fessor happily.