The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-01-15

each waiting for the otner to speak.
When she had made up her mind that
he never expected to open his mouth
again. she gave IN. "And-and how
does-the girl--feel about it?" she in
quired. THAT would make-sOme diff
ference-of course" Hours passed for
her before he replied.
II haven't-asked her-yet," he
said hesitatingly.
With a little SILVER Of relief she
sank back In her seat and caught back
the smile in her eyes so that he might
not see. He went on clustering, man
fashion:
1T isn't unreasonable. is II, to want
aspiring to plumbers wages, you
know, or anything like that; but hang
1t, even teachers got to live"
She began speaking then and her
voice grew softer and fuller as she
went on. II know" she replied. ITS
unfair and it probably will be for a
long time to come, but you can't have
everything. you know, Bob. You have
the work you like best in all the
world. Not many men can say that"
II know all that" he said. shaking
his head in reply. "I've talked that
way to myself, too. but all the same
steam-heated apartments in town rent
for $50 month";
$50 you have been house hunting"
He had not even The grace TO blush
sure he exclaimed. 'Why shouldn't
|? Even poor devil of pedagOgue
can look. can't he?"
She leaned forward, her eyes dane
ing, but for the moment she felt a
little like his mother. nevertheless.
Boy" she explained slowly and
emphatically, "when you're a school
teacher you don't rent a sleam-heated
apartment in town; you get a cottage
In the country and buy good second
hand stove. For that matter. all the
furniture is secondhand but you
needn't look like that-it's nice! You
buy few pieces at time and put
on three coats of paint and then you
enamel ii and If you want to you paint
little flow"
He could not wait for her TO finish.
"And for an engagement ring" he
jeered "you buy some pretty little tin
thing at the five and ten"
She shook her head defiantly till the
red tassel bobbed. mo, you don't |!
You hunt up that lovely old amethyst
ring of your mothers that you onca
showed TOTO me-"
He was still stubborn and uncon-
vinced "And then" he demanded.
"when the house is rented and fur.
nished and-and everything-who pays
the bills?"
Her patience reached its limit
Cant you figure out anything for
yourself?" she demanded angrily.
"Some land goes with the cottage, Of
course; enough to raise garden truck
for the-the family, and besides that
you do whatever you can. Raise
chickens or rabbits or bees or thor
oughbred dogs or mushrooms or any
thing that sells-how can l tell ex-
actly? Personally, I've made several
hundred dollars writing 'deteketif'
stories. Maybe your-your wife could
do something like that-after the
dishes"
The assistant professor Of biology
began to believe he had died and gone
to heaven. He felt as if he were tread
ing on balloons that bore him higher
and higher. yet strangely did not
break. The prospect of remaining at
his work made him giddy enough, but
added to that the idea of wife and
home was still beyond His rapidly ex-
panding imagination.
"Do you-do you suppose-it could
be done?" he demanded, and tried to
swallow. The red mouth beneath the
red tam-o'-shanter was quivering, but
the round little chin was firm. "Of
course ii could ~ she said.
God ~ murmured the assistant pro-
fessor of biology fervently, II al
most believe it could, too! And you
don't believe I'd be low-down cad
for asking the best little girl in the
world to marry me and live like thatY
His hands moved forward, eagerly
awaiting the touch Of the two steady
ones that slipped into his own, while
the paddle, unnoticed, slid into the
water and floated away.
"I-Im sure you wouldn't" she an
swered, 'if-if you mean-me"
Movs Altar Death In Family