The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-12-13
CHAPTER 1.


Indeed" continued the professor,
glnncing down at his notes, 'if one
Were the editor OF 4 column of-er-
advice to young girls, one might crys-
eallize the remarks / have been making
this morning into Il warning-never
1narry Il man with n passion for prln-
ciples."
It got n laugh, OF course. Professor
inl jokes always do. But the girl
didn't laugh. She came TO with Il start
she had been staring out the window
and wrote, apparently, the fool thing
down In her notebook. 1t was the
only note she had made in thirty-ive
minutes.
All Of this brilliant exposition OF
the paradox Of Rousseau and Robes
pierre Che was giving n course on the
French revolution), the strange and
vet inevitable fact that the s~oftest,
most sentimental, rose-scented religion
ever invented. should have produced,
through It's most thoroughly infatuated
disciple, the ghastliest reign Of terror
that ever shocked the world his mas
terly character study OF the ''sea-green
incorruptlble," too humane TO swat a
fly. yet capable Of sending half OF
France to the guillotlne In order that
,iIe half that was left might believe
unanimously In the rights Of nan
all this the girl had let go by unheard.
In favor. apparently, OF the drone of
Il street piano, which came in through
the open window on the wings OF a
prcmaturely warm March wind. or
all his ph~ilosophizing, there was not a
pen-traok to mar the virsinity of the
gage she had opened her notebook to
when the lecture began.
And then, with n perfectly serious
face. she had written down his silly
little joke about advice TO young girls.
There was no reason In the world
for his paying any special attention to
her: 1t annoyed him frightfully that
he did.
she was good-looking, Of course
a rather boyishly splendid young crea-
turc Of somewhere about twenty, with
81 heap OF chestnut hair that had
81 sort OF electric vitality about il. She
mad Il strong chin, with q slight forward
thrust, good straight-looklng, express
siye eyes, and II big, wide, really beau
Gifu! mouth. with square white teeth
In II, which, when she smiled, ex-
crtcd n sort Of hypnotic effect on
him. All that, however, left unex-
planned the quality she had OF making
you, whatever she did, irrestlbly aware
of her. Aud, conversely, " OF
everyone else about her.
Her name was RoSnlind Stanton, but
his impression was that they called her
Rose.
The bell rang out In the corridor.
He dismissed the class and began
stacking UP his notes. Then, Miss
Stanton" he said.
She detached herself from the
stream that was moving toward the
door and, with a good.humored look
OF inquiry about her very expressive
eyebrows, came toward him.
"Th!s ia an idiotic question:" he
said as she paused before his desk,
'but did you get anything at all out
of my lecture except my bit of face
tlous advice to young girls about to
niarryT
She flushed a little "a girl like that
hadn't any right to flush: II ought
to be against the college regulations),
drew her bows together In a puzzled
sort OF way, and then, with her wide,
boyish. good-humored mouth. she smil-
ed. ~ didn't know II was facetious,"
she said. ut struck me as pretty good.
But--I'm awfully sorry II you thought
me inattentive. You see. mother
brought Ms up on the "Soclal Contract"
and the Age Of Reason" such things,
and | didn't put 1t down because . :"
Il see" lac said. ~ beg your par
don"
III" sailed. perfectly cheerfully