The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-24
THE PROFESSOR.
BY ANTHONY f. ANDERSON

But that's nonsense. you know
| mother, said Gray Clement, inpatient
| ", about my. STAYING in the house, and
all that sort Of thing Because [ have
| been sick is not an niaIlible SIGN that
IN III yet. think fresh air and ID brisk
walk Will do me more good than any
thing else. and IN going to take them.
DIR. tlnne, Notwithstanding
Gray, don't be rash!'' exclaimed
bray 5 handsome mother, genuine ter
ror and alarm in her voice. IF Won
must 60 out, then order the carriage. -
Il shall walk, said Gray. in tone
which Mrs. Clement knew from long ex-
perlcnce it was useless to combat '.It's
too warm TO be shut up in that uncom-
Portable coupe, and to take an airing in
the phaeton will only make me more la
" than ever.
Here are the goggles, them said
Mrs. Clement, with a little sigh of rcsig-
nation on know how bad sunshine
is Tor Nour eyes in their weak state .
Il ann nothing but big baby in your
eStlIsatlon, il seems, laughed GRAY, as
he adjusted the huge, green things be-
fore tie glass. The more hideous YOU
make me appear, the happier you seem
to feel .
''1on could never look otherwise than
like gentleman, Gray" said Mrs.
Clement, with maternal pride. But if
You had not overeNerted Your brain and
eyes so much at Heidelberg last year, all
this care and worry could be dispensed
with "
Never mind that now, mother DEAR
said Gray. feeling a Slight twnge of re-
morse, as ne lonkod ut her fair anxious
face. I'm almost all right now, YOU
know, and what's done cant be I'M
dome
Then, kissing her goodbye. and
promising not la go far. he strobe down
the great stone steps, gailv whistling
Robin Adair.
1t was a lovely August day, and Gray
found the air SO pure and bracing that
he walked much further than he had in
tended to.
the city before he realized that he was
becoming ver5 tired.
The Sunshine was so warm. too, that
his brain began To- reel
lie decided 10 ask for a drink of watel
At the very next house, and rest there
before returning home.
The next house proved to be an Gle
giant. picturesque villa, in the Queen
Anne style of architecture. with spacious
gardens and orchards. Everything was
in the ni"~t refined. exquisite taste.
A Young girl was bending over a
rosc5nsn. clipping the great blushin9
flowers. ami arranging them in bou-
quet.
GRAY thought he had never seen such
y fair vision in all his life. Her hair
hung in two shining braids down to her
waist. and was tied with rose-colored
ribbons.
She was clad in the most bewitchin9
of German peasant costumes, which
barely reached the trim ankles.
Ii GRAY had been less exhausted with
his walk. less dizzy, and if the hideous
goggles had not obscured his sight, he
would certainly have noticed that the
gown was OF too rich fabric for peas
ants wear. and that it was more. OF al
modern aesthetic costume than anything
else.
Pardon me. y he said. raising his hat
with his old, inimitable grace: ''may |
trouble YOU for drink of waterg The
heat has made me decidedly thirsty.
He spoke in German, without making
any serious grammatical plumbers,
thanks to his Heidelberg training.
The girl looked quietly up at the
sound OF his voice, evidently not catch
ing the meaning of his words. the sur
prised look on her face quickly succeed
ed by one of pleasure and delight.
You are Professor Van Thiel! she
exclaimed, holding out both her hands,
which, you may be sure, Gray was not
long in taking.
She spoke in German, too, but by no
means with The iluency OF a native.
II M ever so glad yoH decided to
come af last even if it was at the elev-
enth hour On, why didn't you come
before? We have been waiting for you
over 81 month; but now mamma has
gone to New York. I'm SO sorry, but
she didn' expect yen come at all. YOU
see.
But here I'm chattering away, with
out even introducing myself. / m Celia.
Mamma has been sounding your praises
so much-ever since she came from
Germany pardon me for saying So
that know You right away.
ssGrandma and auntie will be so de
Iiohted to see YOU, You must stay with
ms till mamma comes from New York,
which will be in fortnight, | think.
s.But Won are i'll, Herr Van Thiell
How thoughtless of mel Of course the
long walk from the station has been very
wearisome. If you had only let me
known when you were coming. should
have driven out for YOU myself.
To do Gray Clement justice, he had
really intended to announce who he
was, when he discovered that Celia War
ner took him for Professor Max Van
Thiel, whoever he might be. But he
felt so faint and i'll that the thought
slipped from his dizzy brain before it
was half formed.
The next moment he found himself in
the Warmers parlor, undergoing an in
PRODUCTION to Grandma Warner, a
charming old lady of sixty, who imme-
diately became sympathetic at sight OF
his pale. handsome face. and who de-
elared. in queer mixture of German
and English, which would have sounded
very funny to Gray on any other oeca-
sion, that he must retire at once to his
own room, and rest.
During the night he was tempted to
take French leave, and would have done
so but for his weakness. He promised
himself TO fully explain the mistake IN
tho uorniug little REALIZING how hard it