Middletown transcript., 1917-04-07
CHAPTER /.
Beginning an Adventure.

Indeed, cOuJluucu lHc plol0SSoAs
glancing down at his notes, IF one
were the editor of column of-er-
advice to young girls, one might crys-
tallize the remarks have been making
this morning into a warning-never
marry a man with passion for prin-
ciples."
1t got q laugh, of course. Professor
ial Jokes always do. But the girl
didn't laugh. She came to with 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-hve
minutes.
All of this brilliant exposition OF
the paradox of Rousseau and Robes
pierre Che was giving q course on the
French revolution), the strange ana
vet inevitable fact that the softest,
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
incorruptible," too humane to swat a
fly, yet capable of sending half OF
France to the guillotine in order that
the half that was left might believe
unanimously in the rights of man
all this the girl had let go by unheard'
in favor, apparently, Of the drone OF
a street piano, which came In through
the open window on the wings OF
prematurely warm March wind. OF
all his philosophizing, there was not q
pen-track to mar the virginity. of the
page she had opened her notebook t(
when the lecture began.
And then, with q perfectly serious
face, she had written down his silly
little joke about advice to young girls
There was no reason in the worlC
for his paying any special attention Il
her; it annoyed him frightfully tina
he did.
She was good-loOking, of course
a rather boyishly splendid young crea
ture Of somewhere about twenty, witt
heap of chestnut hair that hat
a sort Of electric vitality about it. Sh'
had strong chin, with slight forwart
thrust, good straight-looking, expires
siye eyes, and a big, wide, really beau
tiful mouth, with square white teet
in it. which, when she smiled, eH
erted O sort of hypnotic effect O
him. All that, however, left unex
planned the quality she had of makin
you, whatever she did, irrestibly awar
of her. And, conversely, unaware
everyone else about her.
Her name was Rosalind Stanton, bu
his impression was that they called ne
Rose.
The bell rang out in the corridor
He dismissed the class and Dega
stacking up his notes. Then, mis-
Stanton" he said.
She detached herself from tn
stream that was moving toward tn
door and. with q good-humored loo
Of inquiry about her very expressly
eyebrows, came toward him.
"This is an idiotic question" b
said as she paused before his desl
but did you get anything at all OF
Of my lecture except my bit OF fac
tious advice to young girls about
marry?"
She flushed little "a girl like thf
hadn't any right to hush: 1t ousi
to be against the college regulations
drew her bows together in puzzle
sort of way, and then, with her wid
boyish, good-humored mouth, she slnl
ed II didn't know it was facetlous
she said. ut struck me as pretty goo
Rut-Tm awfully sorry if you thougl
me- inattentive. You see, moth'
brought us up on the Social Contrac
and the Age Of Reason" such thing
and didn't put it down because
Il see," he said. II beg your pa
DON"
She smiled, perfectly cheerful
begged his pardon, and assured nj
she'd try to do better.
Another girl who had been wait1l
to speak to the professor, perceiylI
that their conversation was at an en-
came and stood beside her at the de!
a scrawny girl with an eager voie
and a question she wanted to ask abo
Robespierre; and for some reas'
or other, Rosalind Stanton's valedi
tory smile seemed to include co
sciousness of this other girl-a co
sciousness of contrast. 1t might n
have been any more than that,
somehow it left tine professor feeli
that he had given himself away.