Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-04-21
THE PROFESSOR MARRlES.

Prof. Wilkerson's marriage was the
years sensation in Dorranceville. But
his wedding cards produced no such
sensation in the little college COM
munity as the arrival of his wife.
Some said it was her smile, some her
tall, gracious figure and the way she
wore her Clothes but all agreed
that she impressed them with sense
of old acquaintanceship for which,
with one exception, we found no ex-
PLANTATION.
I am that exception, and upon me
devolves the explanation. Let me say
in beginning that 1 own my superior
knowledge to the fact that my posi-
ton at Dorranceville colleg was in
structor in art.
One evening, several months before
Mrs Wilkinson dawned upon our daz-
zled gaze, l was walking home with
the professor, when he stopped at the
town drug store and stationery shop.
To my surprise-for no one had ever
seen him read anything out side of
science and the daily news-he came
out with an armful of the current mag
azines. He met my look with one both
ashamed and defiant, but vouchsafed
no explanation until we reached his
door. Then as l was taking my leave
he said. suddenly:
Partridge, do you know anything
about the art of advertising?"
''Of course not" 1 replied, rather
nettled.
There is no art in advertising"
81 don't know" he remarked. Some
of the pictures you find in the adver-
Using section seems to me superior to
those in front of the magazine
Full now of curiosity, l accepted his
invitation to enter his little study,
where he lighted his lamp and dumped
the pile of periodicals on the table
''Wait a minute" he said, "and I'll
find it."
Then he paved through the maya
zines until he laid one before me open
at full page advertising picture.
"Ah," he said, his thin face alight
with an expression 1 had never seen
there, this month she's making bread.
Charming domestic picture, isn't it?"
1t was an attractive layout. The
advertisement had to do with a certain
brand of flour, familiar to every read
er of magazines and billboards. The
central figure was young girl bending
S4a1,o %oH I'll r-N1
led above dimpled elbows and hands
plunged deep in a bowl of snowy
dough
Here she is again." announced the
opened a drawer and laid before me a
bundle of leaves cut from other per-
iodicals. Each bore a likeness of the
same girl. In one she sat! sumptuous
ly arrayed, before a mechanical piano
player. In another she displayed two
perfect rows of teeth, one hand hold
ing a toothbrush. In third she
smiled from the tonneau of big tour
ing car. Every magazine reader has
seen her in a score of different cos
TUNES anu poses.
Nov, what 1 want to know" said
the professor, is, do you think she is
real, or just some artists ideal?''
"She might easily be both," l ans
wered ''but there's no doubt of her
reality Why, man, these pictures
aren't drawings; they're photographs.
The professor said nothing but his
eyes sparkled.
Who, do you suppose, could prepare
for me an advertisement with this
young lady as the central figure?" he
inquired, without meeting my gaze.
That's easy told him. write to
the advertising manager of any of
these periodicals. If he doesn't en-
ploy the young lady directly, he can
give you the address of the agency
that does"
That was all that passed between
us. The professors confidence ended
with that one interview. But when
the new Mrs. Wilkerson came to grace
our college halls I alone knew where
her husband had found her.
But to this day 1 can't imagine how
he ever got her.