Part 46 (1/2)

I was a slender bride and had a fresh, beco trousseau He was a heavy-jowled banker and had many millions I was supposed to ply what fehlyhis dollars, to be used in destroying his ideals

Well, that was the first and last time I was ever so eruntingly refused to give a penny And--who knows--perhaps I was in part responsible for the loss of a e professor's wife

However, before pursuing my personal confessions, I must not overlook the e professor we all know and love in fiction I refer to his picturesque absent-otten that; possibly I have becoe too! Is not the dear old felloays absent-e? Invariably and es to remain on the Faculty when absent-ram; and it often perplexes us who are behind the scenes

I tell my husband that, in our case, I, as the dowdy and devoted wife, am supposed to interrupt his dreaown--they alear dressing gowns--and dispatch him to the classroo proportion of his colleagues who, for reasons to be stated, are wifeless and presu only a woman, I cannot explain how bachelors retain their positions; but I shall venture to assert that no business in the world--not even the army and navy--is conducted on a more ruthless and inexorable schedule than the business of teaching

My two brothers drift into their office at any ti and yet control a fairly successful coht-o'clock classroom only one minute late there would be no class there to teach

For it is an unwritten law araduates that when the ”prof” is not on hand before the bell stops ringing they can ”cut”--thus avoiding what they were sent to college for and achieving one of the pleasantest triumphs of a university course

My confessions! Dear e professor's wife, to confess? At least three things:

1--That I love my husband so well that I wish I had never ood wife that he does not know he ought never to have had one

3--That if I had to do it all over again I would do the sah whether it be of weakness of will or strength of faith you may decide if you read the rest

The first time I saw the man who became my husband was at the Casino in Newport And as a poor professor doing at Newport? He was not a professor--he was a prince; a proud prince of the ht recall if that were his real naiate tennis chas of the court, had come to try his luck in the annual national tournament He lasted until the finals this tiot in the gaht! He paid not the slightest attention to h he sat beside me for ten minutes; for, despite his defeat, he was as enthusiastically absorbed in the runner-up and the dashi+ng defender of the title as--well, as the splendid sportsrim

As for me, I fear I hardly noticed hi; for this was eantry of wealth and fashi+on was bewilderingly interesting tothen I aht, I fancy, still interest e professor's wife!

I did not see Carl again for two years, and then it was in another kind of pageant, amid pomp and circumstance of such a different sort; and, instead of white flannel trousers, he noore a black silk gown It had large flowing sleeves and a hood of loud colors hanging down behind; and he was blandly ural ceremonies of the new president of the university

I wonder why it is that when the stronger sex wishes to appear particularly dignified and impressive, as on the bench or in the pulpit, it likes to don feists or antis--they all do it Now some of these paraders seemed as embarrassed by their skirts as the weaker sex would be without them; but the way Carl wore his new honors and his new doctor's hood attracted my attention and held it He seemed quite aware of the ridiculous aspect of an aard squad of pedagogues paraded like chorus girls before an audience invited to watch the display; but, also, he actually enjoyed the comedy of it--and that is a distinction when you are an actor in the coether fascinated me ”Hurrah!

Aren't we fine!” he see, self-conscious procession passed where I sat, s and unnoticed, he suddenly looked up His veiled twinkle happened to aze It passed over me, instantly returned and rested on ray eyes for almost a second Such a wonderful second for little otten that our names had once been pronounced to each other; but in that flashi+ng instant he recognized, as I did, that o knew each other better than anyone else in the whole assee

The nicest smile in the world said as plainly as words, and all for me alone: ”Hurrah! You see it too!” Then, with that deliciously derisive strut, he passed on, while so within me said: ”There he is!--at last! He is the one for you!” And I glowed and was glad

Carl informed me afterward that he had a si platitudinous exercises reat solace to him

”Whenever they became particularly tiresome,” he said, ”I looked at you--and bore up”

I was not unaware that he was observingordeal, he broke through the croith oh, such dear impetuosity!--and askedat his approach, looked in the other direction, for I felt the crimson in my cheeks--I who had been out three seasons! Then I turned and raised my eyes to his, and he, too, colored deeply as he took my hand

We saw no comedy in what followed

There was plenty of comedy, only ere too roic to h of the sort classified as cultured and refined, deploring the e, violently objected to , who brilliantly embodied all they admired in baccalaureate sermons and extolled in Sunday-school

It was not despite but because of that very thing that they opposed the match! If only he had not so ably curbed his hted with this well-bred youngone havingit Instead of a fortune, however, e_ had come down to hi opening in his cousin's bond-house on leaving college and invested five important years, as well as his s universities abroad in order to secure a thorough working capital for the worst-paid profession in the world

”If there were only so business!” as one of my elder brothers said; ”but I've looked into the proposition Why, even a full professor seldoets more than four thousand--inman is a full professor”