Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-27

make one of q house party at his coun-
try seat during the autumn ] accept
ed and found on arrival the company
all present My coming had been an
| nounced. and since Joe had been kind
enough 10 speak a good word for me
was awaited with pleasant anticipa-
tons. On arrival l was introduced to
to all the party. of course. Among
the ladies Miss Helen Phillips seem.
ed most attractive to me. but consid-
cred myself confirmed bachelor. was
devoted to the colonization of bacteria
and had no idea of marriage. But Miss
Phillips, instead of leaving me to show
| Partially for her or not. as / liked,
took me in charge. so to speak, and it
was not long before l noticed dispo-
sition on the part Of the other ladies
| OF the party to consider me her es-
pecial cavalier.
For the first time In my life I fell
under the thrall of a captivating wom-
an. ] had never experienced the SEN
sation called love. All l knew about
/ It was what / had expressed In few
passages in my lectures such as i have
cited, and in my subsequent work l
| had forgotten all about them. The
young women whose antagonism had
excited by my nIaterialistic views had
scattered. and many of them had be-
come mothers. had never heard Of
one Of them since left the university
and had no desire to meet them. In
thinking Of them. which l seldom did,
! usually called up the scene In which
they had set upon me like so many
| fierce birds whose broods / had threat
ened. For one girl especially 1 had
kept up q continued antagonism. That
was Miss Swami, who had attempted
to put me In a ridiculous light before
| the class. Had L been forty-seven in
stead Of twenty-seven doubtless
should not have been. so sensitive.
But this Miss Philllps-she never
tired of listening to my theories, my
accounts of experiments, my deduc-
tons. She was rather a listener than
a talker. She gave no ideas OF her
own, asked no questions, paying the
strictest attention to what 1 said, and
when l announced a triumph in my
work 1 received indications Of her
heartfelt sympathy. Then came time
when she began to lower her eyes at
paid her a compliment, to tremble a
little if 1 were impatient with her.
Why multiply these symptoms of the
tender passion? l soon began to feel
as sure that love was growing up in
the bosom Of Miss Phillips as 1 was
that was in love with her. But. fool
ishly giving vent to my confidence. she
swept away from me like a queen.
leaving me terror stricken. suppl
ant, one evening while sitting with her
before a fire of blazing logs I told her
or my love.
"What is love, professor?" she asked.
Love-" 1 said-"why, love is that
sweet sympathy which exists between
man and woman"
"EternalP'
"I never thought so before, but now
] do. I'm sure it isl
"Will you love me forever"
Forever"
Enough to go with me when I go?'
| "WhereP'
She pointed to the heavens.
| 1.-The world would be a horror after
you were gone"
1T believe in tncineration."
I'm not opposed to it. but what
1.-THE man l marry must make me
a promise"
"What promise"
ITO be incinerated with me when I
die"
| I stared at her in blank amazement.
ION that condition will be yours"
| Memory is curious faculty. Scenes
will lie dormant there for many years
| to be called out by word or an incl
dent pertaining to them. This incin-
| Grafton business called up that combat
| Of words with one of my pupils ten
years ago. For the first time l saw
something familiar in Miss Phillips.
you are began, but stopped. !
| had forgotten the name 1 wanted.
al amp Her lips broke into smile.
1.-THE girl who quizzed me in the
lecture roomT
"I am Kate Swami"
"And as full, of the devil as ever"
81 vowed the day you lectured on
love that If it were ever my good for
| tune to meet you 1 would make you
eat your words. When / heard that
you were expected here l knew my
opportunity was at hand. ! told the
| others that for certain reasons best
known to myself l desired to be incog.
to you and gained their assent to be
addressed as Helen Phillips"
Are they in the secret Of your rea-
son ~ asked.
mo"
There was q silence between US.
was conscious of having been duped,
and that Is not a pleasant sensation.
WELL" 1 said at last coldly, you
nave won a famous victory"
She looked up at me with an express
sion OF a woman who desires to APP
pease one she has offended. a semi
reproachful. semi-encouraging glance.
WAS it all for the purpose you have
stated7" / added.
The glance sank to the floor. and !
took her In my arms.