The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1923-08-03
What She Saw
in Him

BY JUSTIN wENTWooD


90, 1922. Western Newspaper Union.)
"What can Professor Sawyers wife
see in him?" asked the younger son
Its queer alliance, isn't it; ma
tion-famOus actress Of not more thar
half his years?'
Il can tell you something about
that" answered his companion. IT'S
quite romance. Sawyer was profess
SCR In economics at the university
you know, when Mary Lane was one
Of his students.
"She came from a good home. Act
ing, the arts, literature were frowned
upon-too much. Mary had the nat
ural reaction of young and healthy
spirit against the austerity of her
home surroundings.
You know, when q child Is born
that way, with a tendency to question
life, to strike out for ITSELF rigid re-
preston means disaster. Mary should
have been guided along her own lines
Her people didn't understand.
Sawyer understood her He's a
great man, greater than his job, In
fact. He ought to be a professor of
human nature instead of economics.
They fell In love with each other
while she was studying there, and, of
course, her people were delighted.
Sawyer-the Sawyer they fancied
they knew-was exactly the sort OF
husband they would have picked for
Mary.
fhnf 10 4 hot
love. Sawyer went to her home for
visit, as her accepted fiance. Well,
imagine the young girl, with her long
ing for life, to experiment with life,
finding her fiance in his outward atti-
tude as the dry-as dust savant. This
aspect of Sawyer was dinned into her
all day long by her parents.
"She was congratulated on being
ready to settle down with so learned
a man. Her mother and father drew
a terrible picture of their future, she
helping him in his economic works.
looking after him at home, entertain
ing his dry-as-dust friends-can't you
see 1t?
1.-THE result was that Mary Lane
disappeared from home one day, !
leaving a note saying that she was
going on the stage. The next that
was heard of her she was a fifth-rate
actress on the road.
"Of course her family commiserated
the professor to cut her out of their
wills. Professor Sawyer went back to
the university. Every one thought
the thing had ended there But 1t had
only begun.
1.-TWO years later Mary was playing
1 small part In cheap city theater
The professor hadn't forgotten her,
hOugh he was more famous than
.ver. What had size been doing In
he meantime? Assoclating with the
ifth-rate actor and actress-the kind
you know the kind
"She was sitting In q cafe with a
'roup Of them one evening. You can
'icture the scene. Liquors Of every
ind, cheap jests. men and women
moking and more than half intoxi-
ated. Familiarities that rouse all
he gall In decent men, but are ac-
epted as q matter of course among
UGH people.
And into the midst of them steps
he professor, already over fifty, wear
lg raincoat and rubbers, and car
wing an unrolled umbrella.
Professor Sawyer went up TO the I
lble and stopped, looking at Mary. l
Well old buck, have one on me-
aid one Of the flasher wits. I
" Grandpa looks as If he'd been let
1T for the afternoon said another.
oh, you wicked old man. ex-
aimed third In a falsetto voice. I
10 home to mamma, or 1 shall tell /
sr all about you o
MARY, overcome with shame, e
ughed louder than any of them, to t.
de her feelings. But Professor n
lwyer only continued looking at her 8
eadily, and she could not meet his b
es. G,
Send him awayr she whispered -
the man nearest her.
Hey, old Hayseed, back to the land
r yours 7 he said.
"And as the professor did not stir.
raised his glass and tossed the
ltents In Professor Sawyer's face.
That WAS the eliminating moment.
ofessor Sawyer ignored the man,
, action, and the whisky running
wn his chin and collar. He ad-
need step and offered Mary his
n.
That was her eliminating moment,