The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-02-08
THE PROFESSORS STORY.

THE PROFESSORS STORY.
Springfield Sunday Republican.
Taking tea the other evening WIN an
I'D acquaintance, now professor IN an
New England college, the conversation
some of the friends OF our
DAYS, and he surprised me With
This remark: "a woman's sympatn'es lie
nearer her heart than her love, unless
bor love is born of Them" But he Sur
nr;sea me more by the story he told to
prove it.
T Guess it was seven years, no said,
that orr chair Of astronomy remain
v,cant You knew Of DR.. Merdo "a
was Justly that the world f. a. IL
him fame. Well, after ,la''y gave
,.,atees we're at a lor~ -4ls death the
''ue.o ',. wan cou,. . to fill his place.
able thore. VIVA ~
you remember his family? Charm
.ng wife and daughter. They spent sew
e:al years abroad, after his death,
and when they returned not
witl,standing that the widow still wore
mourning, the number of our little so ,ial
events was doubled. The daughter had
a string of young millonaires after ner
constantly. Female society, perhaps
you know, wasn't unlimited, and it was
with foundation of truth that the fell
lows grizzly joAed about calling ON the
: girls their fathers had courted before
: them. Charlotte Mtrdon was as fascin-
atinS girl as her mother had been, so
. said the Old folks, and it was to her that
Prof. Lutz quoted from Horace, 20
: daughter, more beautiful than thy beau
tiful mothcrw when he brought down
on himself the ridicule Of the mountain
day parry Yes, she could have had her
pick from q zen very rich boys, and
think she would have taken it, too, il
she hadn't discovered Il at her mother
was trying to influence herin their favor
At the senior party that year, Char
lotte held her court, as she had every
where. She was surrounded, l remem-
Der, by the rich fellows Of Charlie Eli
otis set Elliott was happy that night
Charlotte had been unu ,l,ally gracious,
and her mother had made her favor
cle;ver than ever.
Over near the door sat the last man to
be expected ut presidents party, Brent
Seymour. He was senior the year be-
fore, and taking postgraduate study at
the observatory Mertlon had built short.
" before his death,-a town toy, who
supported his mother and worked his
way through college. and not often seen
in society, and his ill-titting clothes and
embarrassed manner attested it. Elliott,
looking about the room for Il subject for
his next brilliant remark to Miss Mer-
don, caught sight OF him.
Ed" said he turning to his chum, II
tell what will be great sport. Bring Sey-
muur up and formerly present him to
Mss Merdon. 1t will confuse him. He
won't know what to do, and there'u be q
deuce OF 4 scenc-'
The chum complied and in moment
had the reluctant Seymour by the arm.
The scene tiat followed must have been
all that Elliott desired. For moment
the poor student stood before the belle.
It was not unlike the tableau Of the beg
gar and the princess. Her easy attitude
c,ntrasted strangely with his painful
awkwardness. Elliott had not miscal-
culated The effect was immediate. All
eyes were turned toward the couple and
smile went around.
Charlotte Merdon saw it, and her
cheeks famed. She had OWNED the
heartless joke. To the surprise of those
about her she begged Seymour to be
seated,-ins;sted that he should be
seated Then she tried to draw him into
the conversation. But it was impOssif' -
Embarrassment seemed to have d. ,,,o
his Wits away. Only one rem ~ w
picture of the president" 10, as !" so "o
was one taken 80 years .osar me 1nd . ~ ,
a; a out IT., agooa ~ .eness OF the pres
tue,'t "s ill., .''In ap .eared. The unfor
Aused another smile
EI',o't wa H., de lighted. His joke was
sG. ,.,'ont % cess: Poor Seymour twist
G G,; s: ,;s1 a his chair and hung his head
~, ;'' -omfiure was complete.
~, 4A IS Mer.!on took deliberate look s
" q picture, and did not smile. eyes,
she said. sit is called very good like
ness of him just after graduation. HAY
von seen the presidents flowers, NJ
Seymour? Let me show them to you?
Rising, and excusing herself, she lie
the young man into the green house, az
joining the parlor.
The devil" said Elliott. II didn
aook f r anything like that"
Seymour, rescued in this way fro,
his trying ordeal, hardly knew what
say, or do. He felt as ifa milestone ha
been taken from his neck. The lai
and the manner of the relief worke
strangely on his sensitive nature. H
felt that he was in great debt to lis con
panion. He wanted to kiss the hem {
her garment. He wanted to cry. Fl
knew he was feeling and acting like
fool. He expected that he should max
greater fool of himself than in the pa
lor. But some way he didn't care. H
had lost all fear of the beautiful cir
Her act of mercy had brought her neal
er than years ofacquaintance could. H
talked rapidly of the flowers, for he kne
of them, and Charlotte listened, )
listened wondering why she cared
listen, little thinking that her sympatll
had brought the awkward student nea
er than he would have been had sh
seen him in pain. So when he pointe
out 10 her the observatory where
worked, the queerlv shaped buildir
that showed its dark outlines in tt
moonlight, just over the campus Oh Il
hill, she wondered why it was tn
she asked him to take her there, to G.
act a promise from him that, on the vel
next evening, h.. would conduct h
through the building, that had bee
built after her fathers orders. Sh
persuaded herself that it was q desire
SCI Some manuscripts of her father
which Seymour told her had been le
there. Perhaps it was.
Notwithstanding her mothers mi
remembrance, the next evening fou'
her Will, Brent Seymour in the telescol
room Of the observatory. The roof h,
been let down and she was watching Il
stars.
II wonder If father often studied the
from this room," she said.
''Whenever the sky was clear"
II wonder il he can see them now"
mo, l think tn It through some one
them lie is looking at us"