Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-06-05

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/ pins and needles with embarrassment"
flush! he may understand you," said
Emily.
lie is a gabbling German responded
the tiny woman, unabashed.
The ordeal was becoming too much tor
the professor. The heat of the room wa-
mounting to his brain. the lights dazzed
his ewes, the hum of voices confused him
while his always painfully acute self-con
sciousness was fairly agonized by the
amused observation of Ned" and his
womcnkind. What opinion had they
formed of him already? Should he have
addressed them? He reioiced in being
mistaken for II German, or, indeed any
body besides himself, Professor Harlev
| Whitlling. Such sense of weakness was
overpowering him that, as he listened to
the Young Germans voluble speech, he
was conscious of peering furtively al Emil
| y, with the ludicrous intention of de-
mandng if she really considered him a
good match. What powers of composure
that young lady possessed! What healthy
nerves and well balanced temperament
enabled her to sit there calmly during the
fearful ordeal of table dhole! He admir-
ed and envied the traits he did not possess.
As if all these painful doubts and surmises
were not sufficient, the bird like lady must
needs inquire:
Have you been to the bank for letters,
Ned?"
There are no letters to-day" replied
the gentleman.
Up jumped Professor Whiting from
his seat, boiled from the room. leaving
his German neighbor simply aghast and
met waiter full shock at the door, scat
lering a small glacier of ice in every di-
rection. Having thus distinguished him
self, and feeling us if the glance of Emily
still pursued him, the nervous student
rushed out of doors.
The impression he made on the good
citizens of Berne during his evening per-
ambulations must remain unknown. Pos
sbly the bears in their pit may have
lhuueht him little mad, for he threw
them silver coin, and gave to a beggar
child cigar.
Why had that letter upset himP Should
he have given it to 1" Ned" across the
table, Drawing explanations and general
surprise, thereby covering himself with
obloquy for having the missive belonging
to another man open in his own pocket
Might not the happy and unconscious
Emily, who clearly enjoyed dallying over
the courses of her dinner in an epicurean
f'lshion. have been rendered as uncomfor-
table as himselfby public perusal of those
alnsions to herself?
Merry groups thronged the Schauzli,
lettering along the walks and seated at
the table beneath the trees, enjoying sup
per in iudicious combination with sunset
nm h, R.rnnco r.,pua Tho SNyieS maiden
with the ruddy cheeks came and went
with her glasses of frothng beer and bot
ties of wine. The shrewd young merchant
over the brink of his tiny houses, carved
deer and chamois groups, horns and alpen
stocks, ut each stranger The professor
selected seat, ordered n glass of beer,
and gazed out over the town of Berne
toward the Alps, rose-hushed with the
splendprs of the dying day. That boun-
Diary of eternal SHOWS, so austere in lofty
distance, was even further removed by
shifting vapors, the film of gathering
clouds; life was all about him, the strong
mutual sympa hi's of his own kind.
In all this company of spectators gath
cred on tbe terrace he was alone.
At ten O'Clock Professor Whiting re-
lUl Iitt w MS lONtl, ClllHtN anu ISlttoiC'l
by the pure evening. Seating himself in
n retired nook, he again read the pamphlet,
and fumed silently over the contents. The
young graduate, in audaciously advancing
his own opinions, had even handled our
boanist's pet lern-a plant reserved to
himself by bountifal nature. Such etfront-
cry was objectionable. Besides, he
knows that his ground is untenable," NUT
lered the professor, as he swiftly ascended
the stairs.
He would spend the night in writing a
refutalion, if need be. Your ripe scholar
is apt to oppose the sensational theories of
untricd minds. The professor longed To
wing his denial by telegraphc message
while climbing TO his room, but he was too
sell-absorbed to peer at lhe number, 2O5,
over the door. Night writing and medi
lation delighted him. Seated at his
desk at home, he banished whole armies
of shadowy disputants with stroke of the
pen us the clock struck one and two. Ac-
cordingly he now decided to deal not II
few rapid thlusts Of causlc argument at
the unfortunate fiedgeling who had ven
tured to utter Il note of defiance on the
threshold of his own class room, before he
slept Pushing open the door hastily, he
rroped his way to the table, and struck II
match against the metal box furnished by
his pocket. For moment the taper glim-
mered in the dark room; then white
form suddenly darted past the astonished
gentleman, and such volley of high,
pierre ing, feminine shrieks resounded as
nearly drove him out of his senses.
Thieves! Oh, Ned! Ned! he will
murder me before any body comes!" cried
the white robed lady, and redoubled her
screams with energy truly appalling.
The immediate response was general
commotion in the hurrying of steps along
the corridors, the tinklihg of bells, and
voices from every landing.
What had happened TO her? The pro-
fessor, most quiet and unobtrusive of tour
lists, had never heard such shrieks in his
life. a cold perspiration bedewed his
forehead he attempted to speak reassur-
ingly in the darkness, when at the very
sound of his voice the lady increased her
camor. Panic siezed the unhappy profess
sor, he dashed wildly forward, intent only
on escape from such dangerous society,
when door opened, admitting him unex-
pectedly to sliIl more dense obscurity,
where lie found himself on his hands and
transition. Anything to escape from that
dreadful woman and her noise, which
would inevitably bring scandal on his own
respectable name before the whole hotel
when succor should arrive in gaping
crowd of servants and other travellers.
What was she doing in his roomp She
had called for Ned also. Horrible fatality
The door which had offered escape, as if
by magic, did not open on the ,orrdor.
The professors first impression was that
he stood on his head in II closet, where
asphyxia inevitably awaited him; then he
discovered a window. However igno-
minious fl ght might be deemed by colJy
crit cal public, he determined to flee before
the lady could make any explanation. He
groped along the wall for IL second door of
exit into the hall, thus making stealthy
tour of the premises, which only brought
him to the window again. The truth
dawned on him at last; this was the inner
chamber of connecting suit. The pro-
fes,ors hair began to bristle on his head,
for there was no such inner chamber to