| Show engagement cellar by E LOUISE LIDDELL copyright by jo eph bow es why don t you marry sug mrs harding exclaimed prof bald vin regard t it as a most extraordinary proposition 11 rejoined mrs hardag with haven t cu juat b en tell ig me t at it boj don t marry with in the ne t si months you will for t it the p doerty your uncle left you ten years ago on cond alon of your taking a wife before our fortieth birthday true I 1 told sou so the or w th a siga I 1 thought it my d ity to let you know that I 1 would probably be obliged to give up the su te ot rooms I 1 hae so long occupied in your house what nonsense said she ampa you don t mean to s t down and let that money slip through your fingers do youa I 1 I 1 don t know really replied t ie professor gloomily the bract cal little mistress of the select boarding house surveyed her favorite guest impatiently I 1 d like to know what you ve got against cel a she said ant she good looking and bright certainly declared the professor and sweet tempered 7 yes that is I 1 should imagine so replied the conscientious professor well I 1 say she is sweet tempered and I 1 ought to know said mrs harding with asperity seeing I 1 m her own aunt I 1 assure you the professor has bened to say I 1 have no objection whatever to your niece but the tact is I 1 I 1 don t feel at all acquainted with her oh well it doean doesn t matter inter posed the practical aunt time enough to get acquainted in s x months I 1 should say you ought to marry anyway money or no money you d find it so much more comfort able to have a wife to look after you keep your books and papers in or der the professor looked dubious and appeared to be on the point of protest ing sew on your and dan your stockings the wily matchmaker match makel hastened to add celia s real handy at mending the professor s face brightened it certainly would be convenient he ad bitted pretty 1300 it began to be 1 among mrs harding s boarders that the learned and prof liala win was paying his addresses to 11 air hostess pretty niece though the jung woman herself appeared to be utter ly unconscious that the gentleman s attentions were more than fraternal possibly paternal thus three months gladd away when the recollection of his fast ap preaching birthday reminded the pro lessor that it was incumbent upon him to ascertain definitely whether miss celia was prepared to become mrs baldwin so he broached the subject one evening as they re turning from a lecture miss celia he began I 1 assume that your aunt has informed you of the unfortunate position in watch I 1 find on account of the proal of my late uncle s willa yes murmured the girl faintly an asprec atlon of the ungracious ness of his task was growing on the practical wooer but he went on manfully of course I 1 realize that I 1 am hardly a suitable companion for one so young and charming as your self but if you will consent to cast in your lot with mine I 1 promise to ma ke it my endeavor to prove worthy of your confidence and and while it would be unfair for me to make a pretense of any sent mental f feeling he was going to say tol ly but thought better of it you will find me considerate and please stop cried celia finding her voice at last I 1 appreciate the honor slight accent on that word but I 1 I 1 am already engaged engaged gasped the astonished suitor aby your aunt then he stopped he had on the point of betraying himself they hal reached the house by this time and he held the door open for her to pass into the hall he followed in a state of vague dis satisfaction and went directly to his own apartments then the truth flashed upon him he was in love how stupid he had been not to recognize the signs of the malady before for now h edged to himself that it celia were only his that wretched money might go to the hottentots for all he cared then the quixotic idea occurred to the professor that through his inter cession mrs harding might become reconciled to her niece s engagement to give expression to his devotion to the loved by seeking to promote her happiness even at the expense of his own would he imag ned afford some relief to his troubled he determined therefore to lose no time in offering his services as medi ator the coveted opportunity came at last one evening as he was going out to his garden retreat he found celia engaged in fastening up a wood bine which had been torn down by A heavy windstorm of the previous even ing please sit down he said entreat angly po to the rustic seat in the vine clad arbor she hesitated for an instant then compi ed with his request I 1 have been thinking over the mat ter we were speaking of the other evening he said by way of introduce Intro duc tion celta blushed and paled alternately and looked very much as though she would like to escape and it occurred to me continued the professor hastily that as your arant and I 1 have always been on very friendly terms that it might be Is that she might be or rather that t ind ce her to look favorably L 1 upon your engagement it the matter were presented properly the girl raised a frightened star led face to her would be benefactor oh no she cried don t think ft such a thing it do a bit ft good pardon me returned he but I 1 am quite positive that your sunt will not prove as obdurate ob durat aa you eem to ear and I 1 am tu determined to bert my tn fluence to promote your applee s calla regarded him anxiously it ou wish to pleads ape you will not speak to my aint she said earnestly 1 dear child I 1 must disregard your wishes in bilg ca e said the prof or I 1 w 11 not allow self lali cons cerati na to prevent the perform ance of a duty I 1 think I 1 had best confer w th your aunt at once and rae tl alair happily settled and tho pro s or aro e as though to car ry it hi anten ions will male me perfectly miser erable cr ed calia looking ready to ry why I 1 fail to comprehend said the perplexed professor it the young man is worthy there there isn t any 5 ing man cr ej celia in desperation her heek flaming hotly isn t any young mana rep buted he professor scarcely believing his wn eais no said cella shortly but the engagement 7 he said I 1 was engaged to teach school and I 1 dian didn t want auntie to know it be cause I 1 knew I 1 succeed in getting away it she could preveat it nd now if you ve done cross ques 1 cloning me I 1 suppose I 1 may go she concluded in unmistakable di ere I 1 don t think I 1 have quite done returned the professor with most eur audacity pushing her beatly back on to the bench and seating him self beside her he was in no liiste to begin to speak however he was absorbed in the joyful reflection that cella was free and yet to be won then noting her lips were trembling and her eyes overflowing his heart smote him tor the pain he had tingly caused her do forgive my stupid blunder be entreated but in his consternation he stopped tor celia bowed her head on the back of the rustic seat and began to sob the professor was unprepared for a contingency like this he really dian didn t know what to say and so he say anything which was just as well perhaps for presently the girl raised tier head and wiped her byis celia said he tenderly I 1 dont want to distress you but I 1 would like to know why refused to marry mea I 1 d rather not say anything more about that said she turning her head aside but I 1 think I 1 have a right to know he persisted it you must know then she replied with a note of defiance in her i roice I 1 don t choose to marry a anan because he is under the nices ni ces city of being encumbered with a wife in braer to remain in possession ot his money nor because he imagines he would find it convenient to have pome one to sew on his buttons and mend his stockings I 1 may as well tell jou she concluded I 1 heard you and aun tie talking the matter over and my mind was made up instantly well I 1 can t say that I 1 blame you responded the professor his spirits tailing what a brute she must think him he wondered how he could con vince her that he really did love her he thought with a sigh that it was a hopeless task cella looking up ut that juncture met the anxious gaze of the probes sor s near sighted spectacled eyes they were kindly eyes she coulden couldn t help acknowledging and there wag something in their expression that she had never noticed before some thing that made her look down again wh ie a flush overspread her face cella said he gently I 1 want to tell you something now I 1 d rather have you than all the money in the world trulyn said she softly truly he answered it you 11 be my wife dear be perfectly willing to continue to sew on my lut tons and darn my own stockings and yours too if such employment is distasteful lu you he added jocosely I 1 hope he added anxiously that you really dian didn t mean what you said about your resolution to refuse mea she laughed and blushed I 1 did mean it at first she said then were so nice that I 1 thought you really carea aej I 1 well never mind dearest aid the professor taking her in his arms I 1 was a stupid block head it Is to be pre umed that the use of such unusual language on the part of her suitor convinced cella of the gen fineness uin eness of hb affection at all events the professor won his bride and retained possession of his tance |
