Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1912-03-22
J. A Surprise r
By MARTIN BRADFORD

| am u college professor and add to
my income by lectures on astronomy
One November day started to walk
from the town Of A.. where l had
Just given q lecture. to the town of B :.
where was to give one that night
The weather was Indian summer and
delightful. Some Of the trees we're late
in shedding their leaves. and the woods
were here and there still decorated
with patches of scarlet. brown and
deep green. S.
On emerging from q cut through
which the wood ran saw man
walking ahead of me. don't mind Il
companion now and then in my walks.
SO l. fastened my pace and caught up
with him. | found~him to be about
thirty years old, dressed in shabby gen
teel clothes and Of an intellectual cast
Of countenance. addressed him.
speaking of the beauty of the scenery,
the autumnal glow and the invigorat-
ing atmosphere. He responded appre-
ciatively. ,s=
After chatting awhile on general top
les he asked me where l was going.
and my purpose to give lecture that
night at B. on astronomy came out
He said that he had always had a de-
sire to know something on that sub
ject and regretted that his education
had been neglected, for If it had not
been he would certainly have devoted
some time to the study of the stars
Would tell him something about
them? ss.%sy&:,.
1t occurred to me that this would be
good opportunity to rehearse my lee
ture. My subject was to be, "The So
lar System" and. beginning with the
central orb, gave it's dimensions and
weight and then passed to the planets
in their order Of distance from it, end
ing with an account Of the discovery
Of the farthest. Neptune, by means
Of the perturbations Of Uranus. then
supposed to be the most distant satel-
lite Of the sun. My companion seem.
ed greatly interested in this marvel
GUS power Of a man to reach out into
space and take cognizance of a. world
Invisible to the unaided eye and greed
lily absorbed all told him. though, be-
ing expected to lecture to popular
audience, l did not enter upon the
marvellous development of knowledge
Of the constitutional ingredients Of our
system with the Interpretation Of the
lines on the spectrum. In other words,
contented myself with stating the
simplest truths known half a century
ago and within the grasp of ordinary
intellects.
Now and again in his comments on
the information gave him my com
panion astonished me by an observa.
ton indicating natural aptitude for a
subject Of which he was ignorant. He
wondered how the heat of the sun
could pass through realms of space in
anitely cold without being lost. He
asked If we were sure that Neptune
was the most distant planet of our sys-
tenn. These and other points he sug-
gested convinced me that If he were
uneducated he at least possessed an
original or at least an inquiring mind.
While we were conversing l felt a
giddiness to which am subject and
which is always followed by disa bill
ty for either hours or days. MY com.
panion kindly guided me to a farm
house beside the road and ministered
to my wants. told him that l was
very mu' b troubled at the prospect of
not being able to keep my engagement
to lecture. and in order to help me out
Of the diff nifty. since he was going to
g.. he Offered to cal on the manager Of
the course and explain my unfortunate
position told him to say that past
experience had taught me that would
moi i,e 'bie to lecture the same night
even If were able +" get to B.. hut the
lecture Nigh be put Off till the next
evening. or such time as | had rerOyer,
ed. He promised to bear my message.
but put a daml'er on my anticipations
by :,ss>i"" f.r small loan. gave him
what he asked.
In the vlrSe of few hours I felt
30 mu,'h better that made u t,argailI
with the farmer with whom was
lodged to hi. h up II team aud drive me-
into b. would reach the town to-,
late for I'll. texture. hut that would
bave het4n postponed anyway.
On drfviI,. into H.. whi:h ] reacl,pa
about half ! hour after the hour ~.
for the leg re. WAS surprised to Nc,
the hail III whi''h 1t was to bp givr,
Illuminated | asked the farmer to tin.
mp 1 goi ont and entered the hall. =
To say WAS aStoniSlied cons eys
little idea ut my condition. There nD
the rOstrum was the man who had
taken my message. speaking easily and
gracefully on the solar system: IN
short. he WAS delivering my lecture
but so much more easily and graceful
ly than !. rOu.d have done IT,. 30 IN