, 1920-05-13

vi q
short after-dinner walk down Col
lege street.
But despite his decision not to stop
ut the Forbes house, he would stop.
Sometimes he was tempted even
further by the tantalizing aroma of
dinner, huckleberry pie or roasted
lamb-or fresh aromatic coffee. Mrs.
Taylor's coffee could never be smelled
that way when 1t cooked. Doctor An
dover remembered that she had once
told him that the way she made it she
kept all the flavor In the coffee pot
and that was what made 1t taste so
good.
1t was the test of good coffee, she
said, not having the smell of it escape
from the pot. But Helen Forbes cof-
fee always smelled all the way round
to the front of the house, and to Doc
tor Andover it was perfection In the
cup.
So 1t happened that quite often,
without exactly intending to dc so, the
young college president shared some
of the good things that Helen had pre-
pared for her fathers dinner and al
ways when he did there was the evil
dence of the greatest pleasure on the
part of the hospitable old professor,
who, though he may have worn his
coats until they were shabby, certainly
did not curtail himself on the good
things of the table.
o course, though" said Helen
once when Doctor Andover had come
out with an enthusiastic bit Of praise
Of her cookery, eff 1 were a perfect
housekeeper like your Mrs. Taylor 1
could set a better table on much less
money. She must be quite remark
able. Why. just today she was telling
MS at the missionary society hat she
can make a pound Of coffee go two
weeks and the meat bills aren't So a
week. OF course, she said she couldn't
manage that way unless she felt a
real interest in you. You really were
mighty lucky to get her. Really, 1t
vas quite amusing.
Professor Partridge's wife told Mrs.
Taylor that IL you married 1t
would be her fault, and then Mrs.
Taylor said that at any rate you'd
v marry for a good home and a
good housekeeper. I thought that was
SO sweet Of her"
Eyes, i am sure 1t was" weakly re-
Joined Doctor Andover. He recalled
then that he had fried cornmeal for
supper, although he had begged the
perfect housekeeper to omit cornmeal
for a few weeks. He had never liked
1t anyway. he said. but he didn't say
what he felt, that he had been corn
mealed to death since her arrival.
OF our 1t was because Of the
economy In using cornmeal that she
persisted, and Doctor Andover did eat
1t because he had a healthy young ap-
petite and he had to eat something.
But, them" continued Doctor An
dover, Va man doesn't marry for a
home or for a good cook. If the wom-
an he loves happens to be a good
housekeeper and all that sort of thing
1t is just an added blessing, ] sup
pose"
Doctor Andover was p~reoccupied
after that. He tried to discuss the
new system Of student grading with
Dean Forbes, but his thoughts did not
seem to collect. At a quarter to nine
he rose to leave. Nine was the deans
habitual bedtime.
He babe the dean good night rather
hurriedly. and then as he turned to
Helen he looked very intently at her.
SO intently that the radiant Helen
dropped her eyes. "Tm coming back
at half past nine. See me alone on
the %veranda."
1t was a rather chilly spring night
to be p~hilandering on verandas, but
there was a soft, radiant moon and
Helen had swathed herself in q soft
wooden scarf and was waiting when
Doctor Andover returned.
~ want to talk to you-down here
In the garden" he said, ascending
only one step Of the veranda, and
Helen slowly went down to meet him.
TITS about marrying you hat I want
to talk. Helen" he said when they
had reached the dark shelter of an old
lilac hedge. "You have always been
the kind of woman I'd want-a real
woman, magnificent and radiant and
beautiful. It's the kind Of woman I've
always dreamed about. But, hing 1t
all, / don't want you to think I'm ask
ing you because you are such a Won
derful cook and housekeeper. I'd feel
such a contemplate blackguard to
marry a woman for a housekeeper.
You know 1t is you, Helen, that i
want? I've feared there wasn't a
chance you'd have me-"
It's funny how gossip goe In a lit
tie college town like that. A week
later when Helen and Doctor An
dover's engagement was announced
there wasn't a professors wife In town
but had known 1t for weeks.
HaIan they safd Ind aIvyavs haan