The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-10-21

SA0DF stances made to
~Ns conform to rules
CnNnF rather than rules
S'SNH modified to circum-
! e~~n~ stances. Therefore
otOkI when he fell in love
with Agnes Carter
he did not rush into one of those
haphazard courtships, those hit-or-
miss experiments with the tender
passion which the ordinary young
man in like cases INDUCES in; but
calmly sat down and formulated a
system by which the prize he de-
sired should be won. Agnes moved
IN his own set, and he, therefore,
had abundant chances of seeing her
and of putting his system into prac-
tice. He would see her just so often
at first, gradually increasing these
occasions, carefully preparing in
advance what he would say to her,
by what gradations the conversa-
ton was to grow into tenderness,
just where the presents of boxes of
candy and bouquets of flowers came
in. It was all calculated up to the
very moment when he should say
will your" and she would answer
ct will
Now it so happened that Agnes
was in love with Andrew, and if
Andy had gone right up and said
agnes, will you marry me?" she
would have answered, "Of course I
will, Andy-why haven't you asked
me before?" Andrew had certain
feeling that such was the case, but
to have acted in such an emotional
manner would have been taking
more or less of risk; and in a sys-
tenn there was no risk possible. So
he began to put his plan into opera
ton, with the result that Agnes Won
dered what in the world had sud-
denly come over him, and COM
planned to her intimate friends that
Andy has grown so queer of late"
candy" said she to him one day,
"why haven't you been to see me
lately?"
q" CALLED on you on the twenty
i fifth" he replied; "another call
will not be due until the tenth of
next month"
"Why not? What do you mean?"
she asked little Grossly. "Is it be-
cause you can't stand my company
except just once in so many days?"
"Oh, Agnes" he sighed. ooh, Ag-
mes, you know better than that"
"Do II" she retorted. Gas a mat
ter of fact I don't know any such
thing; and I want you to tell me,
here and now, why you have acted
so lately. But you needn't. I see it
all. You want to drop my acquaint-
ance. Well, go ahead and do so.
won't stand in your way. And you
needn't bother to send me any more
chocolates. That last box you sent
me was horrid."
"Agnes," said Andy severely, 'T
bought those chocolates of a con-
fectioner who has the most perfect
system of manufacturing chocolates
that have ever seem"
Indeed" rerl.ed Agnes; "then he
had better gel an imperfect system
with more sugar and chocolate and
less glucose and cornstarch in it.
And where did you get those last
flowers you sent me?"
"They were raised" said Andy,
"by florist on the scientific plan
developed by Professor Hochausen,
the great German botanist."
"T HEY looked it," replied Ag-
= mes. "Your conduct has been
so extraordinary of late that, here
after, you neeG rot take the trouble
to call, you need not send me any
n5ore candy, nor any more flow
/ eTs."
agnes, you don't really mean
that O. your" he groaned.
"Inaaed l do mean it," she re-
I oiled; why shouldn't II"
"You-you-don't understand, "
faltered Andy helplessly.
Possibly not, and again possibly
/ do" she replied. 81 krlow this,
any way, that you used to act like a
human being, but now you are
grown so-queer-that you are alb
solutely impossible. What's the mat
ter with you, anyway? Why do
you act SOP"
II have a reason" replied An
drew stiffly, land one which is per-
fectly valid"
"Oh, you have" laughed Agnes,
but her laugh was a trihe bitter.
"Of course you have a reason-and
l know what that reason is. You
have fallen in love with some girl. /
know it. Well, good luck to you,
Andy, any way" she tried to speak
gaily, but her face turned pale and
there was the suspicion of tear in
her eye.
Andrew could not stand it; his
system was blown to the four winds
of heaven.
EYES," he cried, 81 have fallen in
love--and it is with you. l have
been trying to work a system-but
the system be hanged-will you
have me, Agnes?"
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