The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-11-03
THE PROFESSOR.

MS llttllc-lit Wa - tiiiAD -
Travelled with articles, and he knew
a little about three-card monte.
He came to the small New Eng
land town which we will call Swan
boregah-tltat : bot It's proper
name. mind YOU. lie put up at the
old fashioned hotel the Victor
House kept by the Widow Hock-
ins. lie was foreigner, and, Ike
all other foreigners, had seen better
times. In his own beloved land ne
was erand-a noble with a retlnue.
Now. had only a vague AID indis-
tinct idea of retinGc. | never saw
one. but. by the way the professor
spoke. it must be something nice. l
wish I had one. and was a noble IN
nv own country. / guess would
stav there. and not come to cold
climate like this where rctlnues
don't grow.
I limited this mildly TO the Pro.cs-
fessor. but he frowned darkly, and
inuttercd something about political
con-piracics, and / got frightened
and did not say more.
The professor was "a Pole-l don't
mean a clo,hcs-yole. or BARRIERS
pole-nothing of the sort--a Pole
from Poland he was prince.
Most Poles are princes. He was tall
and slender, with a fierce head OF
black rinelcts, a snowy complexion
and large black ewes. He was dress
ed in the extreme of New York
style. and he began 10 cast sweet
looks at the landladv of the Victor
House.
Mrs. Hockings was well worth
looking at She was one Of those
round. plump, black-eycd red-cheek-
ed little women. who look as if they
were made to BE- widOws and nothing
else.
She had been in that state ever
since the war, when 81 bookings
died on the field of Gettysburg. She
was q picture 10 please in her neat
tidy kitchen. where everything
shown again with rnbbing and soap.
The floor was white the big stove
was as shiny as the professor : boots,
and that was saying a great deal.
She had her little rocking chair and
her workable in the corner by ihe
window. where here pct of iiowcTs
stood. and the Nadura vine peeped
in from outside TO admire the Wild
ow. And ON washing and baking
days what a pleasure it gas to see
her. with the sleeve OF her dress
rolled up above her dimpled elbows,
7,lunging into the snowy dough or
ircthiug sud-, as the ease might he.
There was n0 looking-glasses or
pictures in that kitchen; the widow
did not approve of them. She had
a0 time 10 Jock at herself, and She
guessed the girls had enough 10 do
without locking at themselves. On
the big stove sat big tea-kettle, so
black. so huxOm and 80 merry, that
II might have been another widow.
gn Wednesdays and Saturdays
the Victor was full to overilowing
with farmers, for nowhere else could
they get dinner or supper to please
1hcm.
Then the widows was up to her
cycs in business-yes, and liked II,
Toe. She had to hear all about Ma
sicr's rumatiz' and Sarah Ellen's in
Aamash0n, and look at the bats and
bonncts purchased for the coming
Sunday at that bureau of French
5ashion-'Miss Smith's down-street.'
The widow went through the
whalc Of e with flying eclors. She
never seemed busy, was algays
Tcady for a chat, and vet everything
was in applc-pie order and just as 1T
ought TO be.
No wonder many burly farmers
sighed when they gazed upon the
Uidow, but sighed in vain. Only
only one adoreg had for a time seem
ed likely TO please the widow-Sam
Nelson. He was a warm friend of
her late husband; after his death he
had often dropped in to talk about
ii. and il had grown customary for
Sam to look in and escort the wild
CIV to church Sunday evenings. Sam
was a church member and led the
singing.
Now soon after the advent of the
professor Sam gave up his habit
Sam did not like the professor. 1t
was no use 10 denying it; he hated
him with as strong n hatred as il
was consistent for a church member
20 indulge in-maybe little strong
or.
it was no consolation for Sam, af-
Ter visit to the widow, to go home
and declare that the professor must
be an ass TO wear such tight, thin
soled boots The professor was not
an ass, and Sam knew il very well.
Sans feet were OF the box-ircn pat
tern. and looked coarse and plow-
tally beside the professors. Then
his hair was warm ginger color,
and grew on the whiskbroom prin-
ciplc. Sam Was disgustcd with it.
lie made up his mind he would not
90 near the widow till that fellow
was gone, and that fellow showed
ao signs of going. What was the
good of washing and combing hini-
self evening, washing and combing
being Scarborough for the toilet
performed by cligiblcs At the close
the day.
No, ii was useless; there was the
stumbling block with the snowy
forehead, the diamond studs and
the clustering locks. Then the pro-
lessor had a nasty way of doing all
the talking, and if anyone else said
anything, looking at them as if he
thought they must be 4 little crazy
20 take such n liberty.
Sunday evening passed several
times in this way. sam began to
pine: he opened his store with the
calm of despair. but his heart was
in it no longer. lie did not care
whether his new and fashionable
prints. at twenty cents a yard, took
fhc fashionable eve of SCARBOROUGH
or not: neither did he try to dis
posc Of his prime Porto Rico sugar,
AT seven cents a pound. as of yore
sam was = disappointed and gloomy