The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-05-01
THE PROFESSORS VICTIM,

heart; she has said that which has cut thee
to the soul"
Nonsense, professor" | sand quite off
my guard. at was only that made stu
pid mistake in Miss Van Coot's basque. She
has to be padded all the way up the left
shoulder
"Gott in Himme" cried the professor;
and then ! saw my ;mprudence.
ut is nothing" said, "when one can af
ford 10 have a skillful dress-maker.'
But the professor leaned back in his
chair and raised his hands to heaven, 1t
was only natural that he should consider
il terrible misfortunc-he whose physique
was like that of Apollo Belvedere.
"She has lots of money said.
"A silver mine will not buy her a new
spine," said the professor.
at will serve to make her own very pre-
sentable," adjoined; land, besides, she is
so good and kind"
"Ah," he said, heaving a sigh from the
bottom OF his lungs, "that is better than all.
She is honest, perhaps, and truthful. At
least she will not, perhaps, lie, as you
Americans say, as fast as the horse will trot.
She will not promise to sit at your table at
a certain hour, and then 90 away and give
no further thought to the matter. There
are some people whose spines may be all
that is desirable, but their hearts, my gra-
cious Fraulein, they are black to the core"
1t was too bad that Helen did not come
as she had promised. The professor did
not fully get over his disappointment till he
came to the pudding, which was fortunately
as near perfection as pudding can be.
His eyes grew less ferocious as he dallied
with the faky putfs, the fierce lines about
his mouth gave way, a generous, benlgnant
expression gradually beamed upon his face.
"And then" at last he said to me, thou
hast not only the spine without bemiSh,
but the heart and the soul Whatever thou
undertakest to do, is done wisely and well.
Gesegnete Mahlzet. now the meal be bless
ed to thee If thou wouldst be a saint in
heaven, continue to be a good Haustrau
upon the earth"
Thanks to the pudding, he went upon his
way rejoicing. When Helen came, it was
soggy and ruined; but Helen was not very
hard to please. A bit of toast, poached
egg, a morsel of any sort, particularly in
the Lenten season, was all she would ask.
When | told her of the professors dis
pleasure, she laughed in that hooking, mu-
steal way Of hers; but thought there was
a latent tenderness in its ring, and there
was q melting look in her great
black eyes, tremulous sweetness
about her mouth, that made me look
at her again. She could wear
a Dolman with more grace than any one I
ever saw; and Just the little rutfle Of cash
mere lace about her neck and the two
creamy roses well down upon her hat, made
her like some beautiful picture.
1t was fully fortnight before the pro
fessor came again to stay any time, He
was very busy. Miss Van Coot had not
only prevailed upon him to take her as a
pupil, but he had consented to manage a
musicale for her at her house on the Az
| enue.
Miss Van Coot and the professor seemed
to get on very well together, One morn
ing that went there to fit some trimmings
upon the white corded silk | was making
for her musicale, found the professor read
ing to her his translation of tragedy from
| the German. Once in while he would
appeal to her judgment IN the formation Of
a sentence, and although she would pause
to criticise, she invariably agreed with his
version in the end. So that he began to
talk to me OF Miss Van Coot as be had
formerly Of Helen
And the night Of the musicale, to which
| did not go-Miss Van Coot, in her kind
way, invited me, but it was not expected
that | would accept the invitation-that
night Miss Van Ceot looked very well in
deed. | went to arrange her dress before
the entertainment, and really Miss Van
Coot looked almost handsome. The excite
ment had lighted up her heavy face, and
although it was a risk, | never had better
luck with anything than | had with that
corded silk polonalse. Miss Van Coot was
so pleased with it that she was kind enough
to send me home in her carriage, and the
professor whispered, as he bade me good
| bye, Thou hast done marvelously well mo.
| body would know but that her two sides
were cast in the same mould" So that the
professor seemed very well pleased with
| MISS an Loot, anu feared more anu lnOTc
for my poor Helens happiness. As
the days went by, there seemed al
most spell upon her, and would
only have been too glad to
have her make fun In her old way Of some
Of the people about US, or hear her laugh,
no matter how mockingly. The professor
began vaguely to feel that she was chang
ed, and watched her at times with fretlul
curiosity and again with touching tender.
ness She began to be to him like a we'll
behaved child she bore his sneers and re.
vikings SO meekly; she played to his order
and sang for him without complaint the
classical music which she professed to alb
omlnate; nor did she finish by galloping of
into some extravaganza of her own The
professor became more and more uneasy and
perplexed. He ceased to talk of Miss Van
Coot. He tramped to and fro the length OF
the rooms mutterng to himself, sometimes
turning impahently upon his heel and
walking out of the house
One night they sat together Helen and
the professor, in my pleasant parlor The
fiat which rented was next door 10 a bio