Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-06-08

OF education. Miss Halliday knew very
well that the modest young man would
never have the assurance to propose
for the hand of an heiress.
III hope she said to Professor Po-
land when they separated at COM
mencement time. that this will not
end our acquaintance. l have always
been greatly interested in your in
struction and am indebted to you for
having helped me through several ex-
aminations which would without your
assistance have sent me home to finish
my college course sitting round trying
to look pretty. Mamma has directed
me to invite you to spend part of
your vacation with us at our country
place, and we shall look for YOU at an
early date"
The invitation was followed up by
one more specific, and in July Profess
sor Poland found himself at Morning
Glory-Belle had named the place from
flower she especially loved-a mag
niicent place in the center of spacious
grounds and commanding fine view
Of distant hills and nearby lakes. While
Miss Halliday was in college she, like
other students, was under his author
ity. 1t seemed to him now that the
conditions We're inverted. He appeared
to himself nothing more than a peda-
gogue with so little income as to be
barely able to tip the servants, while
his former pupil was arrayed in "pur-
pie and fine linen" and occupying So
cial position to which he could never
nope for an entree, and if he was
granted an entree he would not be able
to support it.
Miss Halliday's treatment of Prcfes-
sor Poland was calculated to throw him
into a fever. She was not only gra-
cious; she was as devoted to him as he
would have been glad to be devoted to
her were their positions reversed, Law
ishing on him such delicate attentions
as a woman will lavish on a man she
feels privileged to favor In other
words, a courtship was going on, in
which the woman was doing the court
ing. The professor sometimes drifted.
resigning himself to this delightful
spell she was throwing about him, and
sometimes suddenly came to realiza-
ton that he was standing on the brink
of precipice.
Now, if women were the privileged
proposers they would doubtless acquit
themselves far better than the men.
AT any rate, they are by superior del
icacy far better fitted for the purpose.
To Miss Halliday what she was en-
gagged in was as simple to her as the
reconstruction Of the Roman forum
would have been to Professor Poland.
When she was ready for his proposal
she took him out into the garden and
began to gather bouquet of flowers.
"Are they for me?" asked the pro-
fessor
"For you? No. I'm going to be mar
ried."
The professor felt as if some one had
knocked the life out of him.
who is the fortunate MANI" he
gasped.
I'm not going to marry a man. I'm
going to marry these flowers"
Several months had passed since
Indian custom to his class and it did
/ not occur to him that Miss Hallidays
words referred to what he had then
said. However. he was not afraid of
such rival and somewhat recovered
his equanimity.
"Oh!' was his sole reply.
4 Belle went on collecting flowers for
posy and when she had done so
made a dumb show of affection for
4 them. There was stable on the place
/ and well from which to draw water,
which was brought up by pump.
Belle Went to the we'll. lifted trap
door and threw her bouquet down into
the opening. Then. without remark
she sauntered back to the garden.
4 Now, Professor Poland was not quite
so stupid about the art of love as
might be supposed. He attended Miss
Halliday Oh her visit to the Well, and
when she led him to vine clad recess
and sat down on rustic seat a vague
connection between what she had done
and the Indian custom he had embod-
led in his lecture found Judgment in
his brain. He realized that this might
be in lieu of a proposal. Surely it was
not encouragement for him to pro
pose. 1t was either proposal or it
was nothing If it was proposal it
was incumbent on him to respond. If
he responded and Miss Halliday's act
meant nothing he would be in an nm
fortunate position. If she meant what
he suspected and he made no response
he would still be in an unfortunate
position. What should lie do?
His inclinations decided him.
/ THE honor you do me is, assure
/ you, fully appreciated. Since l love
4 you and have loved you for some time
\ it is not an absence of love that causes
me to hesitate. 1t is the disparity of
our Incomes"
THAT, | think. can be easily arranged