The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-12-10
What. Spring
Can Do
By H. LOUIS RAYBoLD



out Of the room, shaking the academic
atmosphere from her.
| But Alicia was not practiced In
yielding to so unreasoning a thing as
impulse. Furthermore, she was not
minded to let go any credits which
might win for her the election to Phi
Beta Kappa
| Alicia turned her speculative gaze
upon Professor Holder He was a
younger man than his scholarly face
and list of degrees would indicate. In
cold way, he was rather handsome.
In fact, Alicia had more than once
confessed to herself that, in case she
ever married a man of his type would
be her conjugal choice.
Unfortunately-an and she sighed
Professor Holder never allowed a
personal note to creep into his rela-
lions with students.
Shifting her glance again to the
greening campus, Alicia thought of
Billy Cortlandt. After all, why not
marry him? To be sure, Bill cared
as little for her beloved astronomy
as she did for his adored baseball,
but he would undoubtedly get on in
a business way, had proposed to her
twice already-and 1t was spring
Professor Holder, either because his
lpreoccupation or because her averted
face offered pleasing profile to the
gazer, found his eyes continually turn
ing her way.
There was something, he thought
to himself, even as he gave out the
next weeks outline. rather profitless
about so lovely a creature, devoting
herself to the habits of solar sys-
TENS and astronomical calculations.
Her interests should be more mum
dane.
What a wife-what mother! And
here the young man sighed. So earn
est, so aloof were these young things
in their pursuit of cold science that
one never dared the personal and SO
never became acqua 'nted
He wondered what Alicia's thoughts
were this morning.
Then he thought of Lesbia Pres
colt. Lesbia was the pretty daugh-
ter Of the family with whom he
roomed. Phi Beta Kappa and planet
ODDS were alike unknown to Lesbia.
But when it came to the latest thing
in hobs or dance steps-ah, you
couldn't fool Lesbia.
Perhaps he would make no mistake
to marry her She'd probably forgive
his astronomy and marry him, If he
asked her. He had never actually
considered so doing before but this
morning there was something about
the tender blue of the sky, the mellow
softness of the air
The bell signaled the closing of the
hour, and with shutting of books
and papers the class filed out. If Pro-
fessor Holder had hoped Alicia might
inger with a question, he was mis-
taken. Nor could he know that, just
outside, she hesitated, bit her lip, then
shrugged her shoulders and went on.
Ten minutes later, Bill Cortlandt
lifted the telephone receiver in answer
to persistent ringing.
ooh -Alicia?"
you've changed your mind about
going canoeing? Good!''
You'll meet me at the boathouse?
Fine Y
"A great day, Alicia. springy and
everything!"
1t was a few inmates before two
that Bill, stalwart and attractive.
swung across the campus. At
junction of paths, his way met that
of slim young girl who was
sauntering along with hands plunged
In her white sweater pockets, her
eyes demurely not looking his way.
But Bills heart missed beat She
was very pretty and he had been hay
ing sneaking little doubts that a girl
like that would be more comfortable
life companion than the learned Alicia.
He knew the girl pretty well. Besides,
chocolate nut marshmallow frappe
wouldn't take very long out on An
toni's little sun porch. And-it was
spring
Alicia, as it happened, reached the
boathouse a trifie early and sat down
on an overturned rowboat to wait.
Bill would propose once more and
she would accept him. There he was
nowI
But the arrival was not BIZ. It was
John Holder, who looked as II he had
expected to find somebody, but not
Alicia. waiting for him. He lifted his
hat, as Alicia arose
They interehanged a few conventions
nj sentences. Then, I'll don't sup
pose you would care to go canoeing,
Miss Hunter7 I'll had a sort of half
way engagement to paddle around a
little my Iandlady's young daughter.
but now knew must have seen
rightly when I saw her going into An
toni's with young Cortlandt"
If the man wondered somewhat at
the odd smile with which Alicia as
sured him nothing would give her
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