Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-28
uening Story
FINDING THE PRIMITIVE MAN.
BY Ellis More.
{ Copyright. 1916, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.

| { Copyright. 1916, by Mcclure News
paper Syndicate. }
Professor Hudiberg had heavy
bushy eyebrows, knuckly hands and
features that were rugged One would
not have supposed, to see him, that he
spent his working hours within the
chemistry laboratory Of co-educa-
tional college and at heart he was one
of the least venturesome OF Bradley
college instructors. Oh, to be sure,
there was no experiment that he
would not attempt, no piece of chem.
ical research too difficult for him to
try. He was brave in that way. But
when it came to making Helen Burne's
acquaintance there his heart failed.
And Helen Burne was of all the girls
who studied under him the very one he
wanted to know. She was blue eyed
and blonde and pretty. She was the
type that he liked to imagine surround
ed by all the delicate comforts OF a
home.
Il never could understand" he said
to her one day when he had at last got
up courage enough to talk with her
aside from the necessary instructions
in the laboratory, why you chose to
specialize in chemistry" Professor
Hudibrey spoke with slight accent,
slowly and with infinite courtesy.
Helen loked up at him with bewilder-
ment, test tube in hand. "Am l really
SO stupid?' She asked, and her eyes OF
blue were very wide open. ..-.
Indeed, 1t is not that Please do not
misunderstood me- merely mean that
in my own country young woman OF
your type would not choose the career
of q chemist. Perhaps I have said more
than ought.
"Not at ALL" Helen replied, putting
down the test tube and wiping her
acidstained hands on her envelop1ng
apron. II see what you mean. You
mean that baby-faced blondes like me
would be picked for the career Of a
hausfrau. Well, that's just one OF the
big differences between this country
and yours. Here a woman chooses for
herself. have chosen sc1ent1nc
career" she looked at him quizzically.
4 suppose you will have no use for me
when you know that am suhragist.
I've lust been elected president OF the
club here at college, Next to messing
around with these funny acids, there
is nothing / like so much as slf-
frage scrap. You know when you began
I was afraid that you were going to
warn me that I wasn't doing good work
It is a fact. Professor Hudiberg, that 1
am not doing very brilliant work IN
many Of my classes. Wouldn't 1t be q
dreadful blow if the suffrage pres1-
dent should be "f1unked?'
Professor Hudiberg had followed her
conversation attentively. He had little
imagined that his first attempt at In
formal conversation would lead to so
long a monologue. Now he was at loss
to know what to say.
"You are very interesting" was
what he finally did say, and then tear
fearing that he had been too personal;
"That Is q, you'd point Of view IS inter
esting to me. Perhaps you will let me
hear more of it some time time. But
Won must remember that you are still
very young-hardly more than . child.
And you have not yet told me why you
choose chemistry
"No. and I probably never shall, =
was the girls somewhat disrepectful
answer
Then, as the professor went back to
his own desk, she said to the girl at
the next experiment table: Il like his
nerve. He calls me child"
One day-it was Saturday, with no
laboratory hours-Helen came uncere.
moniously into the laboratory. Her
cheeks were flushed from running and
her blue eyes were very bright.
ooh, Professor Hudibery," she be.
gan. II have just thought that you
would do for part in the suffrage
pageant we are getting up. Tell me you
will, pelase. I've gone over the list OF
all the men in college andi there isn't
another one that looks the part. Will
your"
Yes said the professor, feeling a
strange unaccountable pleasure in be-
ing able to grant her any request.
ooh, lovely she said clasping heI
hands. "You see, we are going to de-
pict the evolution of woman from
primitive times to the present day We
are going to have the primitive man
trampling down the primitive woman
and then there is to be the Indian with
A., his squaw carrying the burdens Of the
chase for him, and the pioneer Puritan
father with his wife acting as his part
ner in the making of home in the