Litchfield enquirer., 1877-05-24
THE PROFESSORS VICTIM.


 life" said the professor-'sa mystery that when I do think upon, I get what yon Americans call crick in the brain.
 -.Yes, professor" I said, meekly, al though had never in my life. heard n American use the expression. But tllo professor went into altogether different society from that in which was allowed to mingle. and dare say they had a lan~ guage of their own. was merely dress maker. To be sure had good customers, and as many as I could we'll get along with, SO that had no occasion to put out sign. Miss Winthrop was so glad. of this. She said she didn't know how she could board with me If I kept sign at the door. It was bad enough for her to know how hard worked, and what a# wretched life led; it was enough for her to pity ne; it would be uncomfortable. if the whole neighborhood should be called upon to extend me their sympathy. T. think Miss Winthrop was mistaken. am confident that there were many people in our vicinity who would have been glad to have fared no worse than l. But Miss. wlntilrOp had peculiar v1cwS aD0uC labor. I never contradicted her. The professor and she were 'wrangling always and for ever. They never agreed upon any snb-s feet whatever. He was there almost every day of his life. Miss Winthrop was study ing at the Institute; but she was not a very ardent student, and used to be at home most of the time. SO that when the professor got through at the college and conservatory, he generally came di- rectly to the house. 1t would have seem ed strange almost sad not to have seen him at least once in the twenty four hours.
 I remember that day so we'll: I had been more than usually perplexed in cut. ting and fitting The left side of Miss VanCoot had to be padded all the way up to the shoulder, and in some unac- countable way had. mistaken the left for the right, so that when she put on her basque, should have laughed if had not cried. I wass nerVeus@ and worked out, suppose; and as she stood there, it was all could do to keep the tears from rolling down my cheeks"
 She went off in her carriage, and I be- gan to rip out the stitches. The morn- ing was cloudy and overcast; and as I got | to the window to see, I couldn't help but think what miserable world it was, when, all at once big shadow loomed up beside me, and a familiar voice cried out
 ''Who is it that hath made thee to weep? give me their bones that~I may crack them.'' And then I fell to laughing. Suddenly | the morning seemed to be bright and beautiful, the form of Miss Van Coot shapely enough, if only would not be stupid. and mistake the right side for the left. As for the professor, he was like a demigod made out of flesh and blood great deal of fine wholesome flesh gal- Ions of splendid blood. coulp not help thinking, in my sordid way, that the pro- fessors tailor, whoever he might be, was a wondrous lucky man; for nobody but those whose trade 1t is to puzzle and de- sign for the human anatomy can have the least idea of how fearfully we are made. some soft gray material that suited we'll his fine complexion and ruddy hair. | In his button-hole were some fresh vio- lets, for it was already early spring. He pulled the glove from his plump white hands, a nd went up to the piano. It was open. just as Miss Winthrop had left it.
 Will she return to luncheon?' and I thought as he spoke how nice it was to be the one ''she'' in that big generous | heart. aEE | 1OS, prOlCSSOE, l IopllGOs
 "Then will stay" he said, and imme- pudding; and while stirred the materi- l to talk about Miss Winthrop. Never by any chance when we were alone together did he talk of anything else. 1 ''I saw your tears," he cried, in his tragic way. II should not at all wonder. Of all women she is the most aggravating, is the most unreasonable" ''It was not Miss Winthrop" I said; and you do not think all these disagree | ble things that you say of her."
 II dol do, he cried. You think, now, that am what you Americans call 'spooney' about her; but it is not that at all. l have only the puerility to be cu- rious; and then the professor went on to tell me that the. mystery in Miss Win throps life gave him a'crick in the brain. |" At times, said the professor, ''she is | moody. She is what the French call dis | trait she is plunged into 8 melancholy profound and touching. tell you, my gracious Fraulein, there is a burden upon that woman's soul. Now what can it be?" did not reply. How could I? I had also noticed these periods of sadness and abstraction upon Helen's part, but how could speak my heart out to the profes- sor? How could I tell him that he was unconsciously trifing with Helen and tell her. He was like child in impulse. and many 6 time, when. had unwittingly trusted him, he had unblushingly betray- ed me.
 Fortunately. Miss Van Coot came in. The professor went into the parlor aud began to bang upon the piano with the fervor of an enthusiast. While I was try ing on Miss Van Coot's basque, he pour ed out hls whole soul upon the keys, so that Miss Van Coot 1idgeted from one foot to the other, and at last tore herself away from me and sank upon chair near the door.
 "Let the dress go," she said. "I must listen. Oh; how beautiful it is Who is he Where did he come from? How mag nificently he playsi How do you manage to have an instrument like that? The high notes are perfect" and she peeped 1 through the crack of the door. \.
 "Pardon me-" said. respectfully, for. she was the best customer had, but in ten minutes I shall be done. The basque fits you to perfection. He is professor Wagner, of the Grand Conservatory. He does play wonderfully well. The instru- ment is not mine; it belongs to the pro- lessor, and he has hired it to a young Southern lady who is boarding with me- She is pupil of the professors" ~ss
 "A pupil said Miss Van Coot. who had given herself into my hands again, q warm color creeping into her murkey skin, her dull eye kindling. "Then he will teach?"
 ssYes. H-if- Heswin teach you, if that is what you mean; of course he will; I only meant that the professors terms are very high" ''So much the better," said Miss Van Coot.
 It was really wonderful how we'll the basque fitted her. One would certainly have thought that her left side was the same as her right; and Miss Van Coot was so pleasant a lady, it would have been thousand pities if she had not been able to afford skillful dressmaker, one who made her work continual. study. was really all of this It is no eeotism to mention 1t. I was 1uite famona for my