The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-12
How She
Proposed
A Story For Leap Year
BY ELINOR MARSH

Professor Poland Of - Woman's
college was lecturing to his class, his
subject being customs in India. He
had excited considerable attention
while dwelling upon the suffice, the
girls showing great indignation at the
immolation Of a widow on her hus-
bands funeral pyre. A hundred pens
taking down the lecture scratched
fiercely on as many notebooks. From
the suffice he passed to the products OF
the country, and the pen scratching fell
or so perceptibly that the professor
was admonished that he was losing
his hold on the interest Of his class.
He kept a number of slips, on each OF
which was written some bit OF infor-
nation calculated to attract the atten-
ton Of young women, and. taking up
one, he interpolated 1t into his lecture.
among the singular marriage Gus
toms Of different people there is one
In India which is very delicate"
Every pen of the hundred young
ladies' began to send forth a sympa-
| thetic sound.
"a father will hold his daughter for
q price to be paid by the sutton before
marriage. A parent having a very
beautiful daughter or being able to
settle on her a large dowry will some
times put so high a price on her that
such young men as desire her cannot
AFFORD to pay It. This makes market
for manageable women. Widows may
he had at a very low price"
A hum Of expressions Of amusement,
approbation or dissatisfaction inter
rupted the lecturer.
when O father finds that he has
been holding his daughter too high and
wishes, so to speak, to put her on the
bargain counter [laughterl he does not
tack a card to her on which is written
Special, as would be done in America
If we had any such marriage custom.
He adopts a much more poetic method
He marries her to a bouquet Of flowers
and throws her husband into a well.
Since he must be drowned the bride
becomes a widow. This Is notifica
ton to the young men that she may
be had cheap"
Professor Poland, who was a yOune
man of twenty-seven. paused and show
ed a white set of teeth under his darl
mustache In smile which was meant
to be partial unbending from his pro
fessional dignity. A ripple Of amuse
ment passed over his auditors, and h'
was about to return to finish of thu
products Of India when Belle Halliday
one Of those girls who go to college t
let off a surplus stock of mischief
arose to ask a question. Professor Pc
land paused and looked at her inQuir
ingly.
"This being leap year." she said, Il
occurs to me that this wedding to tn
flowers might be used by a girl as
delicate way of proposing to the ma
of her choice. It would be equivalen
. to saying. Il may be had for a song
buy me-"
The class Uttered. The professo
! looked at the ceiling, then made tn
| following reply:
"Your method, Miss Halliday, woul
involve knowledge on the part Of tn
man proposed to of the Indian custor
in question, which he would not b
likely to possess.
"Oh, I didn't think Of that1 An
r Miss Halliday sat down in pretende
!. confusion. But II there was any col
fusion In the matter It was with II
professor, who was at the disadval
: tage Of being one man among man
e women. He made an attempt to smil
then went on with his lecture, but d
not again strike anything an interes
4 ing to his class as the matter Of 81
being welded to bunch Of flowers an
her husband being thrown into a we
Professor Poland's lecture was deli
n cred in February. and Miss Belle Hs
Hday was graduated in the followiI
70 June at the foot OF her class. As hi
% been said, she did not 80 to college
L study, but to have a good time. 81
, was philosophic about It why shou
I make a grind Of myself when all q
rest of the class are grindsf II sDe
my time studying, who would do q
deviltry2 II were destined to mai
my living as a teacher l would need
u apply myself. But I'm not to teac
" I'm to be married"
=, "Got him picked out, Belle" asked
chum.
20 "Yes."
HAS he proposedf'
mo, and / don't expect him to pI
pose. This is leap year, and intel
to do the proposing myself"
"Going to be married to q bunch
n flowers and throw your husband in
wellT
Maybe"
D. The chief reason underlying Nj
ic Halliday's indisposition to make
e. Grind Of herself she did not mentit
Her father was a rich man, and 8
was an only child. Besides what pr'
erty she might expect from him,
possessed a fortune In her own rig
inherited from grandmother. Inde'
It would be difficult to find a reas
IN why she should, like the busy bee.
ht prove each shining hour over dead L
n guages, mathematics or philosophy
which she would have little or no U
since the probability Of her coming
want was very remote
m But Miss Halliday was bright enou
oh TO get what she wanted, and in one
no 80. aba knaxv yarv xar what