Deming graphic., 1919-08-19
THE BUG "PROF."
By AGNES q. sRooAN.


my dear" she said as a last ef.
fort at persuasion. ''you might oblige
your father in this. he is good to
you. sallie. And why you should have
an absurd aversion to men Of learning
IL more than can understand.
Professor Laidlaw, who is coming
| 10 have dinner with us tomorrow, Is
one Of the incest men ever met. Your
father has known him for years, and
his judgment. where worthy men are
concerned. Is Of the best"
IF inviting this professor to din
ner is a delicate way Of bringing him
to my attention as possible husband"
said sallle, "rd rather use my own
Judgment and you can tell father So"
Again Mrs. Thayer sighed. ut is not
exactly the idea Of a husband In
which we are interested. DEAR" she
answered, a conscious flush coloring
her cheeks, ut is Just that your IA
ther and wish to have you meet the
right sort Of men,"
"The right sort being" sallie crisply
replied, "some old steady-going fossil.
I won't marry a professor. mother. or
any other kind Of student. Mercy
knows. I've had enough OF them
around all my life In this college
town.
"SallIei" her mother demonstrated,
"when will you give up using those
slang expresslonsf If Professor Laid
law would hear you. your father would
be mortified indeed"
"Smail chance" Sallis murmured
wickedly. Mother, will not be at
home tomorrow"
'Sallle," Mrs. Thayer answered firm-
ly. II positively forbid your visiting
any OF your friends when your IA
ther has expressed this wish for your
presence at home. Nothing but good
reason could excuse your absence to
: him"
Sallie turned her sea, lrhan In
her hand, considering. Presently her
! defiant face frightened.
"Well," she exclaimed. "hers is a
n reason which will not only satisfy
/ dad, but please him as well. I'm go
d ing to the public library to study up
e on natural history"
3 "Sallle," murmured her mother help
y lessly, but there was tender light In
her eyes, as they rested on her daugh
ters lovely, mutinous face,
- Sallie, with a novel tucked under
re- her arm, made her way up the marble
re steps Of the library to the secluded gal
" lery, where few were wont TO b.
found.
Beneath the other arm was berib
re boned box Of chocolates-saved 70
Up some solitary occasion such as this
M Upon the whole It appeared that Sal
" lie would not have too dull an after
- noon. But wonder Of wonders, bac
ha upon the bench behind the cases o
nd strange birds and beetles, sat youn
10 man, absorbed In a book. and ais
to helping himself generously from a bo
re- Of candy.
AS she hesltated, the young mar
who had nice. friendly eyes, with
lp- nice, friendly smile to match, locke
ne up from his book, and said quite na
urally:
do not let me drive you ava!
ho There is plenty Of room here &c
m. both"
ar so It proved. Sallie had never b
srs fore entered so easily into conversI
he ton. 1t began by their strange sin
les ilarlty OF tastes, for In addition
m the chocolates. 10 the young man WI
ek' reading that very novel which Sail
IN" had smuggled away under her arr
And when they had discussed, vii
o.. the same points of interest, the move
sor the delightfully."- unconventional your
en man drew Sallie's attention to Il
,er birds and beetles, and his talk concer
80 ing them was as interesting as re
% stories from a book.
ed, Sallie could not believe that n
o'clock had come and that she mu
hurry home to dinner.
% %inu "rm coming down here again
,es' @ morrow" the young man announc
law. carelessly.
feet "I have to come" Sallle told hi
he Then she explained about the vislti
last professor, and how "dreadfully tire
be she was OF professors and students
IKE general, and the nice young m
|si | smiled.
rs"s @ Fed up, chr he remarked Inc
,rm gantly. and Sallie agreed.
,uth She had the air Of a Joyous c.
luc- splrator when upon the following d
she babe her mother good-by, and sta
ed again for the library. The n
t. young man was there before her.
chad been there" he lmpatiently
planned. "for three-quarters OF an nc
or more"
-. And today. the subject OF the be
'p'e' being exhausted, the two spent
afternoon wandering about among