The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-05-22
How She
Won Him
BY RICHARD MARKLEY

came down to Mayside with Phi Beta
Kappa key dangling at his watch
chain Evelyn Clarke and i became
rivals for his favor. We girls had al.
ways considered Evelyn booky, but
rather to show off than possessing any
depth Of knowledge. She, Donald and
1 were sitting on the porch one morn
Ing, l with my crochet work. Donald
strumming his mandolin, while Evelyn
was holding in her lap work recently
Issue on the cave man.
"Mr. Barker" she said, "do you real
ly think that man has lived on the
earth hundreds of thousands Of years?"
II don't know" replied Donald, still
picking away on his mandolin, "hay-
ing only been here about twenty years
myself"
1t was plain to any one that he had
no desire to air his knowledge, but
Evelyn persisted:
Here's a picture in this book Of a
bison painted on the wall OF cave.
The animal has been extinct for many
thousands Of years, and yet the pic
ture must have been painted by a
man."
"How about the baseball team of
your college this yearT 1 asked him,
with a view to changing the sub.
| ject.
The best we've had In many years."
he said, Frightening up ut being able
to talk on an ordinary subject. "Our
Fellows have got a new twirler, who is
going to develop into wonder"
Evelyn was turning the leaves OF the
book, but l noticed that she was look.
ing at the pictures.
Here's a man." she said, referring
to q picture Of a primitive man that
somebody had built of plaster on a
Jawbone found in cave, "who lived
not less than 25,000 years ago"
Donald frowned. It was evident that
he wanted to get away from heavy
subjects and feed on light ones. l.,
having failed to turn Evelyn from
what was going on many thousands Of
years ago by introducing modern base
ball, concluded to try another tack. 1
didn't know much myself, but 1 re-
solved to utilize what did know.
Don't you think, Mr.. Barker" I
said, that the spectroscope is a Won
derful invention?"
He cast a quick glance at me and
| caught on at once.
"You mean" he said, "that spectral
analysis is a remarkably scientific de-
velopment."
Evelyn looked blank. She knew no
more about a spectroscope than l did
and was evidently uneasy lest she
should be compelled to display her ig-
norance
What do they do with spectre
scope. anyway, Ev?' 1 asked.
what do they OF" she repeated in a
patronizing tone, as though she was 60
ing to enlighten ignorance. "Why,
they break up ray of light and in that
| way find out what the substance that
gives out the ray is made Of"
"How do they do that?" asked.
"Why, just as have said, by break
ing up ray of light"
"But how can they do it that way"
1 asked.
She was stumped. started in to
talk of something else, but in few
minutes she interrupted me to say:
"Oh, remember now. They do 1t
through certain lines that appear on
the rainbow Of colors from the break
ing of the ray"
"How do these lines show it?" ask
ed. I had been obliged to learn
short statement of what I was asking
her. 1 didn't understand 1t, 80 I was
obliged to commit it to memory and
repeat 1t in recitation like a parrot.
So was ready for Evelyn in case she
was funked. She was funked and
owned up with very bad grace.
isn't it something like this?" ask
ed. "a glowing gas gives out rays OF
the same refrangibility as it absorbs
when light passes through it,"
By this time Ev saw that / had
crushed her. Donald's hitherto frown-
ing face broke into an uncontrolled
smile. looked demure as freshman
in college sitting at the feet of CANA
liel. Ev colored, then darting hate
full glance at me got up and flounced
into the house.
II don't think she'll try to teach you
physics again." said Donald. THAT
was pretty compact statement Of
yours. If Ev had been putting 1t up
me might possibly have shufied
through to an answer, but 1 couldn't
have made one like that"
"And If you should ask me to 1lus-
trate it would answer. Not pre-
pared"
My victory over Evelyn was COM
plete. She had tried to attract Donald
by display of knowledge she did not
possess As for me, was only trying
to head her off from subjects that we
didn't care to talk upon. But never
could persuade Donald that 1 was not
a very bright girl. If he so chose to
think of me 1t was his affair, not mine.
told him the plain truth, saying that
my definition was all Greek to me,
but he said where there was so much
smoke there must be fire.
At any rate, either what he consider
ed my smartness or what he believed