Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1924-12-12
How She Had
Fooled Herself
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD

III King seriously, If you coulC
choose exactly what you would be II
life, just what would you pickf
Eleanor Colby. brown-eyed ant
thoughtful. poneered this for a mo
nent without replying. Then she
said euphaticaly: We'll. there is NJ
question In ny mind. know abso
lutely. I'd be Dean Of the college
here. love the dear old place,
adore girls and / would love having
their welfare in charge How about
I you Sabra.'
sabra laughed "Oh, I'm silly
/ creature. I'd Ike TO marry and have
six children - The other girls joined
in the merriment which followed, yet
each secretly felt that Sabra's am
billions were more likely to be real
lied than anybody else's; for wasn't
she easily the most popular girl in
the class with a string Of adorers
anyone Of whom was ready to marry
her the moment she graduatedf Yes,
indeed. as the class prophecy had It,
"Sabra King at once will wed and
settle down 10 making bread"
However, June arrived with It's
Commencement day and diplomas
and passed without any wedding In
vitations from Sabra. Somehow or
other she had been unable to decide
between Alec Howe and VIII Derrick
and had refused both Of them.
Kenton Blakesly took her about for
a while then fell violently in love
with a newcomer 10 town and mar
ried her before she went home. Sa-
bras father suspecting a damaged or
at least an affronted heart, gave his
daughter money for a trip abroad
and Sabra departed TO spend pleas
antly melancholy hours among
Greek ruins Upon her return she
signed up for postgraduate work at
the college as a sort Of time filler and
II was in the archaeology class that
she came in contact with Professor
De Witt
Now Sabra was not girl who
would be particularly attracted TO a
man because Of his brains. She de-
handed a certain attractive mascu-
Unity in anyone who was to share her
Interest and De Witt rather meas
ured I'D to her requirements.
He fell for Sabra promptly as men
usually did. but unlike most Of them
he did not follow a few weeks court
ing by an offer Of marriage. he
seemed Interested IN developing in her
an interest in things archaeological
sabra at first allowed herself to be
lured into profounder study Of the
subject through a casual Interest
aroused by her trip abroad Then
gradually. she found herself becoming
absorbed. She even enrolled In course;
dealing with correlated subjects and
took up definitely advanced research
work. Furthermore, she took a roon
at the dormitory as a more convenient
mode Of living when so much Of hel
time was spent at the university.
And so, little by little, more thar
any other graduate she became a par
Of the college.
It is not surprising then that on'
evening a year or two later she was
waited upon by members Of the board
Of trustees who found their dean luret
F to another college and her position va
] cant.
1--WE want you, Sabra King" they
told her, "for our dean. More thar
any other woman you have allied
Yourself with the college and its in
terests and when we find among oul
own members a woman capable o
aJling the place, we do not believe II
hunting up an outsider"
Stunned at the unexpectedness o
the offer, Sabra demurred. She begge
for, and was granted, time 10 cOnsld
or. Although she hardly admitted
even to herself she was unwilling Z
decide without consulting Perry d
Witt.
That night she laid the matter be
fore him and tensely and curiousl
awaited his reception Of IT,
Take IT," he said earnestly. ut
really a remarkable offer for-pardol
me-so young a woman! | only re
gret that I shall not be here to wit
ness the excellencies Of your admins
tration. | myself have Just been az
pointed to a full professorship in lie
land and the increased salary mean
that at last | can ask TO marry me
woman | have long loved and of whor
YOU somewhat remind me"
In the privacy Of her room Sabr
laughed until she very nearly cried
How she had fooled herself Yet sh
was surprised to find that there wa
no resentment or disappointment. o
the contrary sense Of relief enve
oped her that she had no choice {
consider. Choosing had always bee
difficult for Sabra As II was, sh
wanted the deanship more than mai
rlage
Ten years afterVard Sabra, sti
the popular dean of Ashley, attende
reunion supper " her class. no'
fifteen years out OF college
'Do you remember asked som,
body. chow We discussed our future
one day and Eleanor Colby wanted {
be dean Of Ashley? And low It
Sabra King BY the way. whatevC
became Of Eleanor after she gradI
atedf
"Oh." spoke up somehody else, "sh
went home She vas q Western cir
you know believe she taught
while But now l.r's married. WI,
she married that professor who wa
| here-De Witt or something"