Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-11-12
THE TWO PROFESSORS.

"Charlie! You frighten me! What can
have induced you to venture into this
house?'
"Venture! What do you mean? re-
ceived a note from your father inviting me
to dinner. You may suppose I didn't
spend much time in getting ready. just
jumped into my dress clothes, and here l
am"
"Oh, my dear boy, there is some mis-
take. Where do you come from?
thought you were in Scotland"
s.Not.at all The day after you left, I
was telegraphed for to Dusseldorf, and only
came back to-day"
"Where are you putting up?''
cat Morrison's hotel"
''Oh, Charlie, now really! How extra
ordinary! I see it all now. You are here
by mistake
sDon't say that, darling. thought it
was all right, and that you had told the
parents"
"Oh, no. I've never dared. Do take
your hand away-Charlie, go further off
suppose any one should come! Oh dear,
oh dear, what shall we do?"
''Suppose you explain matters little"
''The invitation was not for you, it was
for Professor Muller just arrived from
Bonn. You know Kitty is. staying there,
and she wrote to m, NINA to ask her to be
civil to him. Look, here is the letter."
Dearest Mamma: Our dear and in
every-respect-to-be- Professor Null
Ter is, to our great regret, about to leave
US in order to be present at a meeting OF
the 'Gnternational Society of geologists'
to be held in London. He starts tO-mor-
row, week before the time, in order to
familiarize himself beforehand with the
language, for though he reads and writes
English marvelously well he finds diff
Guilty in speaking; and indeed, all here say,
our method Cor rather want of method) in
pronunciation is simply barbarous.'
"There, thatll do, Trixy, dear. Don't
read me any more of that pompous rub
bish. To think of sister of yours being
such a prigp
She's quite young, poor little thing, -
said the elder sister of nineteen, sand has
naturally fallen into the German way. She
goes on to beg mamma to ask him to din
ner.'
"Of course, see it all now. The invi-
tation was for the geological specimen, the
in-every-resp be-admired Mul g r,
from the Vaterland, and my name being
Miller, the waiter at the hotel brought it
to me. Never mind, it's all right. I'll
personate the worthy Professor"
ooh, but you can't. You're not bit
like one. You havn't even pair of spec
tacles.''
"Can't you rake out an eyeglass or some-
thing?"
''Do be serious, Charlie dear! Papa will
be SO awfully angry. You don't know
what he is; he will be sure to find you out,
and then things will be worse than ever. -
"The latter end will be worse than the
beginning, you think. Not bit of it! In
fact, it can't be. Already he hates my
very name, and won't have it mentioned
before him; but personally be can't dislike
me, because he has never seen me. Now.
l will so ingratiate myself into his favor
tonight that he will retract all former er-
rors"
'That is a thing he never does. He
prides himself in never being mistaken in
first impression. My poor boy, all you
say proves how little you know him."
"Little, do you say? l don't know him
at ALL Am just on the point of making
his acquaintance though, for mean to see
this affair through tonight. Don't be
afraid, shall make splendid Professor.
30 geology is his line; that's stones, isn't
its know nothing. about them, but that
don't matter. l know something great
deal more to the purpose, and that is few
of your fathers little weaknesses. Trust
me for humoring them, that's all. l car
see how the mistake came about. Il was
entirely your fault, you dear little"
"1ndeed it wasn't took great pain,
to explain everythipg, mysels aave the
letter e Ilosrss " carry to the hotel, and