The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-04-03
The Professors Substitute.

Professor Bonds brows were knit in
honest perpleXity, and he brushed uI
his shaggy gray hair with his slender
white hand, while his keen but kindly
eyes were fixed upon sweet faced girI
standing modesty before him.
"You are snch child" he said, pre-.
sently.
81 am fifteen, Herr Professor"
"A great agel and these are all big
boys, you see."
but do not have to do more than
teach them, and can do that because
and here her low, sweet voice broke
and the sensitive lips quivered piteous.
ly-"my father was training me for q
teacher"
"H'm! Yes I"
eff you will only let me try, Herr
Professor, until my father is stronger
The doctor says few weeks of entire
rest is all he needs, but if his salary is
stopped how are we to live?"
Professor Bonds brows knit again
1t was dilemma out of which he saw
no way. Professor Schorn was his
German teacher, and three distinct
classes of pupils were expecting to re-
cite to him that very day. 1t was i'm
possible to find another competent
teacher for some days, and Professor
Schorn had had stroke of paralysis.
In this emergency the professor
only child, Doretta, had offered her SER
vices.
Professor Bond was puzzled about
the expediency of substituting for a
gruff, gray-headed German of sixty or
there-abouts, slender girl of fifteen,
with voice like flute, and smile
like baby. Yet there was resolution
too In the blue eyes and on the pretty
lips, while the low, broad brow pro
missed intellect.
"Well'" he said, after long pause,
you may try. am within call if you
need me-"
And Doretta, with long, quivering
sigh, followed him to class room
where about twenty boys awaited the
arrival of the German professor. After
Professor Bond left her, she said, with
gentle pathos:
my poor father lies helpless at home,
and we shall stqrve If | cannot dc
his work here. You know him and
love him, and am sure you will not
make it too hard for me-"
All the boy chivalry wakened at this,
and the class as whole was exemplary
There were some imperfect lessons, but
little inattention, and the new teacher
excused nothing, let no mistake pass
undiscovered, Her own knowledge OF
English was better than her fathers,
and, greatly to his amazement, Profess
sor Bond found the classes progressing
faYorably.
The second school term of the year
made some changes, and one morning
Doretta, lifting her soft blue eyes to
her class, found new boy facing her
He had large, dark eyes, handsome
face, tall, strong figure, and rather
awed her because he was older than
any of her class. She found his name
upon her book-Sidney Rynear, and
her pretty face clouded as she read it,
for there were vague but unpleasant
memories associated with the name OF
Rynear in her mind.
But Sidney Rynear was the very pink
Of courtesy. Just from New York, his
clothing was in the latest style, and at
nineteen foppishness is not so offensive
as ut twenty-nine. Only boy and a
girl liking was the result Of the meet
ing.
The romance of first love lasted all
inter, and, as spring opened, Profes-
.or Schorn gained his strength until he
could hobble about on crutches, and
talk of resulning his interrupted duties
1t was In April that little Doretta stay.
ed at bone to cook the soup, and hel
father went once more to the seminary
to teach the boys German. She was
restless, this pretty Dorctta, that day
She told herself she missed the boys,
but did not admit even to her own heart
that II she could have retained one
scholar she could well have spared the
others.
Only one hour had passed when a
carriage drove swiftly to the door Of the
little cottage, pnd Doretta, Lurrying
out, saw thr2Sme carrying her father
up the garden path, while following
with frightened face, came Sidney
Rynear and the doctor.
fn. AAn Ia,Nay fauf