The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-01-15
SEVENTH
AND BOARD
BY NJ. p. MERRYMAN

along the slanting sun paths that slid
abruptly into shadow at the tables
edge. The assistant professor of biol
lay upon the table before him. but he
was not concentrating, at least not
upon the text. With q thump of his
fist that set the book jumping he
raised his head and looked about the
big. quiet room.
The assistant professor took off his
glasses and rubbed his eyes aud
stretched. Then he showed his hands
into his pockets. tilted back in his
chair and surveyed the shelves of dog
him an immense satisfaction. this bare,
low-vaulted room with IT'S brown walls
and solid, brown tables and its rows
and rows of books.
The assistant professor pulled out a
crumpled bit of paper from his pocket
and smoothed it out upon the book,
after which he continued 10 regard IL
with an expression of ironical amuse-
ment. 1t was check made ont to him
for the amount Of twelve dollars and
fifty cents; a sum ne had received in
payment of a scientific article which
IL had taken him two months to write.
It was good article, too, but accord
ing to more than one editor mot suf-
ticiently popular in tone"
He had been trying to make de-
cision. This last contemplation of the
scrap of paper in his hand had served
to tOpple the scales. He closed the
book with bang, uncrOssed his long
legs, rose from the table and ambled
down the aisle to the door. Outside
he stood for an instant blinking In
the strong light. When he closed his
eyes they still registered printed book
pages. With something of the feel
ing OF n stranger he turned and scuffed
along the leaf-strewn path to the lake.
Now that there was no longer any
doubt about his departure the init
mate landscape seemed all at once I'M
familiar and different. He felt already
detached from it-and sorry.
The moment the tip of her canoe
veered round bend in the shore line
he recognized 1t and whistled. The
assistant professor of English whis-
tied her answer and waved an undig-
nified paddle in greeting as her small
craft slipped into sight.
"Want to comeY she called, invit-
lngly.
"Sure!"
"All right! Climb in"
The canoe nosed landward and
slushed into the sand. With a lunge
which shot the boat into deeper water
and himself miraculously. into the
boat, the new passenger embarked
and took charge of the paddle.
"Where to-" he asked.
"Oh, anywhere" she replied and
smiled at him.
He selected the most distant spot on
the lake, laid the paddle across the
canoe and rested his elbows on ii.
"Takes longer this way" he ex-
planned.
Out luuSIlCu ulu lCuHCu SluCWdNS W
watch a swirl of red and yellow leaves
that went scudding along the surface
of the water like a fleet of toy sail
boats. The red of her o'-shanter,
however, held more fascination for
him. At length the leaves whirled out
of sight and she settled back in her
seat to feast her eyes upon lake and
trees and sky.
'T'm so sorry for all the folks who
live in cities" she said.
why"
She looked up inquiringly at the
question. He had snapped it out so
abruptly 1t puzzled, her a little. He
had begun padding, too, furiously.
"'WhyT" she repeated. "Why, be-
cause they miss all thisw She waved
a brown arm toward the rusting woods
that Swallowed them. "Wouldn't you
hate to miss it?" she queried. The
blade In his hand cut a long swath
before he answered.
Ell expect to miss it-after next
Sunday" he said.
''You-you mean-T Her question
hung unfinished.
'Yes, I'm going away--to the city"
he said dryly with pucker of his
mouth as II even the taste of the
words was bitter to him.
"Ohp She bit her lips and tried to
60 on speaking naturally, but her
brain appeared to be turning <somer-
sault-and no words came.
YES" he went on duly. "In go
ing away. Decker has a fellow here
now who can take my place. They've
given me these last two days till col
lege opens to decide. Well. I've made
up my mind. I'm going to the city to
live in hall bedroom and work in
an office-and sell rubber. I'll loathe
selling rubber. but I've got to stick
to IL till / can make b decent enough
living to ask decent girl to marry
me. I'd rather stay here and go on
with my work than anything else on
earth, but I'll be hanged II I'll ask
my wife to wear secondhand clothes