Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-01-02


Il believe l really could enjoy good
time he said wonderingly as he went
to bed.
The next afternoon Professor Trim
gle sat in the orchard under a low
hanging apple tree. He was in Han
nah's favorite seat an ancient wing
chair covered with oilcloth. Here
Hannah could sit and sew or read or
sleep entirely protected from draughts.
Amos Tringle had spent a lonely
day. He had seen the pretty Desmond
glrls-he didn't know how many there
were. four or five altogether-d
away in the motor with their hand
some mother; and there was no sound
of piano or of merry voices from the
tennis court over the way.
The little volume of essays dropped
! from the professors fingers to the
ground and he closed his eyes drowsi-
ly. Swift footsteps crossing the or
chard grass reused him and the sound
of sweet voice brought him wide
| awake.
From behind the wing chair came
the most astonishing words.
"Dearie, if you're not asleep, won't
you please get this horrid splinter out
Of my finger? If you are asleep, Miss
Hannah, dear, you needn't answer"
added the voice with a gurgle of Celtic
humor.
Professor Tringle cautiously poked
his head around the corner of the
winged chair and looked into the as
tonished face of the most beautiful girl
he had ever seen.
AS she uttered an embarrassed cry
he arose to his tall height and smiled
down into her wonderful blue eyes.
Don't be alarmed" he counseled
her. Il am Miss Tringle's brother
she is in Petawick today. Won't you
sit DOWN." He indicated the chair he
had vacated.
Mono, thank you. Professor Trim
gle," said the girl recovering her
poise, Il am Desdemona Desmond
from across the street. I've a splinter
in my finger, and the servants are sc
clumsy about such things that / just
ran across to Miss Hannah. I'm afraid
l disturbed you."
Not at all,r he assured her eagerly
"and If you will permit me, Miss Des'
mond, I will remove the splinter. Let
me see it."
Desdemona held out pinky-white
foreinger which Amos took in his own
hand. She gave him a needle and q
tiny bottle of antiseptic solution. In 8
second he had extracted the silver
wincing with her at the slight pain
When he applied the antiseptic. he
recorked the bottle and gave it to he'
with the needle. waving aside hei
thanks.
Wont you sit down." he asked
feeling awkwardly that he must seen
very ancient to this girl in the white
MILDLY blouse with a red bow at hel
throat and glimpse of little white
tennis shoes beneath her snowy skirt
Thanks, | will, if I'm not interrupt
ing you" she said demurely.
Amos threw himself down on the
bench under the apple tree and aftel
that there passed the most delightful
hour he had ever known. Desdemon;
Desmond could talk of things that in
terested him. Not only was she in
terested in girlish pursuits, but sh'
was widely read,i and her freshness
of view and her charming difidenct
before him, the learned man of letters
was the undoing of Professor Tringle
When Hannah came home that nigh
she was obliged to unearth from th'
attic some automobile catalogues
which he had tossed aside in scorn thu
week before; before his blazing en-
thusiasm her longing for past youtl
took new impetus and when weel
later they both came back from New
York in a bright red automobile, on
would scarcely have recognized tn
staid brother and sister in the coupl
SO modishly attired In motor gal
ments
The Desmonds were deeply inter
ested in the car-especially Desde
mona, and all the Desmonds rode fort
in it and were charmed with it an
with the lprofessor-especially Desde
mona! And after awhile Hannah grey
to decline a motor ride by moonligh
while she went to sit with the Des
monds on their gay piazza and Amo
Tringle and Desdemona went throug
the country over perfect roads an
learning the old, old story. Desdt
mona was not too young to learn j
and Amos, who was slipping off tn
years with every hour of this new e.
perience. was as young as Desdemon
herself
The day Professor Tringle propose
to Desdemona Desmond, he was wea
. ing an old gray sweater and his hs
had been left at home; his thick hal
.. was ruffied all over his head and
looked so young and handsome an
brown that Desdemona laughed whe
he suggested that he was too old to
her husband even while his whole hal
! piness revolved around her answer.
Dear she said sweetly, her hea
against his shoulder, you are the dea
est-and the youngest of men-and th
whole Desmond family loves you-e
pecially Desdemona!"
l-(Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure New
paper Syndicate.)