The Springdale news., 1915-11-05
A Painful
 Experience
By SADIE. OLCOTT

A number of maiden ladies sitting over their teacups began to talk of those incidents trifiinc in themselves, but which have caused the separation Of lovers. This led to narration of experiences Miss Dartmore said that she had broken with I lover because she had invited him to dinner and. in stead of appearing in evening dress. he had worn ] business suit. Miss Win ters confessed that she had shown tenn per while playing tennis with man who would doubtless have proposed to her He had sent a ball that struck her on the nose, drawin. blood that had stained 2 newly Iaundercd skirt. There were other omissions. mishaps and displays Of natural impcrfections which lovers do not expect to find in each other and which had the par. been considered of the slightest conSc- quenee
 One lady of the party. stitl young enough to repair any such da mage. sat mutelY listening 10 these recitals. wearing the while woebegone coun= tenance Being asked if she had not had such an experience. she admitted that she had. but she had suffered so severely in consequence that she could not bear to talk about it Every one present urged Ter to tell the story. promising sympathy, and all were sure that she could not herself in anyway have been at fault Being finally per suaded she spoke as follows:
 In my eirlhood 1 always favored oeYs older than myself and since I have been grown I have admired not youths who talk Of trivial subjects. but men or ealiber Professor Poindexter caught my fancy by his dienified ap- pearance and the depth of his under standing l first say him ] a lecture he delivered on Antiquity of =Literas ture It seemed u me that every word bc uttered weighed T ton. The party was with remained after the lecture and 1 was introduced l shall never forget the eourtlv bo9 with which he greeted me and my heart duttefed II the look admiration ha gave me
 Thc very next day MS informed ,e=one of the ladies et the narfv with whom had attended the leetuFe that Professor Foindexter desired = know me, and she asked permission = bring him to all Hpon me Of course as sentcd and admit counted tlfs days almost tlIe haurs. til IT, eame. He was tery formal. but tAs eHIs added to the admiration felt for him. Dur in2 the rest .. our acquaintance he never Inbent but always trcated me v.ifh tue most profou9j Fc1crrnce. which at times melted lo tenderness
 "A ware that it would pe fatal for me 10 make . display of my shaIoNne,s. | conteuted myself with leading him to speak ou ponderous subjects. then listened. with my eyes fixed upon him in fapt admiration, though confess seldom understood what he WIS say ing Occasionally when glimmer of his meaning permeated my duA brain 1 would venture some question per taining 10 tue subject. whereupon ne would kindly say that what 1 failed 10 grasp had puzzled many of .Ae strong est intelleets. and he would thus en- Ter upon an explanation that would drown me in \ sea Of unintelli@ible ness
 My admirer was twenty years old er than L but that only added rcFcr- ence to the love felt for him
 I cannot refer to tGe evening he proposed te me without emotion Here the speaker wiped away q tear. We were in the drawing room. lighted by lamps with shades of various hues 1 was sitting on sofa. he in aa easy chair directly before me. He took my hand ;n his and
 The narrative was interrupted hy . food of tears.
 Never mind the proposal. dear. . said several ladies at once It's too affecting Pass on to what caused inc separation.'
 The speaker composed herself wiped away her tears and proceeded:
 ''We had been engaged q month. | had introduced Professor Poindcxter to my friends, proud of him and his learnine One day we went shopping together Among other things my tiance bought was an alarm clock. He said he wished to put in T few hours of study before breakfast aud needed to be awakened The clerk showed uS bow to set it and gave us specimen Of the alarm. which was loud enough to wake the dead My tiance conelud- ed to take Il home himself since he needed 1t the next morning, S0 he put it in his coattail pocket We went home in q trolley ear. Among the pas SengerS l recognized several of my ac- QCaintanceS So proud Of my capture was l and SO desirouS of showing off his learning that l led him 10 talk on an abstract subject. Those who were near enough to hear what he said were listening intently when"
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