Wichita eagle., 1888-02-04
THE NEW PROFESSOR.

nerves The new professor had arrived to
deliver his first lecture to the pupils of the
Heliotrope Female academy. As the 'accom-
piished principal" so the newspapers express
it, of this great institution, ! considered it my
duty to have a professor Of science added to
my corps of teachers 1t sounded WELL in
speaking, TO say Professor West of Hello
trope academy" must say it was the aim
of my life TO have everything appear much
better than it really was. At teachers
meeting We had discussed the matter. II
shall Stipulate for an unmarried man" in
formed the ladies Middle aged, learned
and companionable for intellectual women
like ourselves The teachers all agreed with
me, but Col. Sands, my wealthy patron, de
INJURED at the proposed advance. He came
in just as our meeting adjourned. Being a
widower, and as Edith had taken her history
lesson into The study TO learn, [ begged him
to sit down and tell us how he managed his
dear motherless children.
~ don't manage them-blessed if I do.
I've turned them over to you ladies to man
age Keep that rascal Dick Granger away
from my Edith. That's all ask Bless my
heart, what can / do with parcel of girls
on my hands,"
| had numberless answers to my adver-
tiScment for professor, but tossed them
all aside and engaged Professor West. The
moment my eyes rested upon him ! felt in
tuitively that the very person [ desired had
presented himself. So handsome SO very
handsome, in spite of immense green cog
giles; SO gentle and refined and so good, so
innoccntly good engaged him at once On
the easiest terms. Indeed, Professor West
declared himself so appreciative of the great
advantage Of enjoying orr society that he
almost forgot the question of salary. He
was quite indifferent 10 money. ] found
him willing to come for mere pittance,
which went far TO bias me in his favor, as it
always does seem hard to pay OFT so much
money TO teachers The futter of nerves
mentioned above was occasioned by the az
rival of the professor. He was actually in
the house. All the teachers were struck by
his ingenious manner and his straishtfor-
ward, beautiful candor.
''EIc says he never met more charming
set Of ladies" observed Miss Brown, the En-
glish teacher. she says the girls are not 10
his taste at all; he despises such young
things: he says my eyes are lovely
Ma fol- Your eyes indeedn calculated
Mam'Solle Alice, the Frcach teacher He
mante-ah, monsieur is one grand gentle
man"
Il don't believe in flattery," interjected
Miss Turner Nobody insults me by com
pliments The professor thought was one
of the girls: indeed ! never saw man so
amazed as when told him was teacher
Miss Turner looked every day of her - years.
''He is very near sighted" | reminded her.
''Not at an" insisted Miss Turner. ''He
only wears glasses to shade his eyes, and he
always says just what he thinks"
Putting on my glasses | drew ont a note.
1t was from the professor. l was determined
TO read ii merely as a check in their vanity
and concet. "Let mo see" began quite as
ii the idea had that moment occurred to ne
ale says in this note: Il am coming early to
have a better opportunity of knowing lady
whom ! have long admired for her talentE
and erudition'n Without the smallest notic3
of decidedly envious laugh I folded the
note and went TO my room, to read up on the
miocene period. The professor was TO lecture
on the mioceno period After taking my seat
and leaving my glasses on the table-they
always made me look ten years older--I went
down TO sea Professor West. To my amaze
ment there sat hiallseic EeIicie in her best
black silk, with crimson trimmings, talking
in her eXcitable foreign way There on the
other side YVES Miss Brown in her best plaid,
smiling in bland auiability. Miss Turner in
Eec Sunday cashmere ogied him in front
To do the professor justice, he seemed rest
less and in evident expectation of some one
else. As be turned at once to me | felt Ger
tain that ] was the person for whom my
handsome young professor waited. We dis
cusSed extinct pachyderms of The miocene
period. l made SOME strong poic..s, to which
he yielded without argument. Mss Turner
whispered quite audibly that the professor
had not a chance TO put IL word.
When we We're passing into the lecture
room | observed that he looked at Edith
Sands, who contrived TO be il our way, and
that she laughed rather pertly. Before l
could speak to her the professor said in a low |
tone: 'What grand figure you have, my
dear lady-queenly, positively queenly."
heard that silly Edith utter SO rudelv |
that common decorum induced ME to send |
her to back seat She is considered beauti- |
full by some people, bat to my thinking her
face is weak; besides, she has round, chubby /
figure. ! had it from TN professor himself /
that he admired queenly figure. The lee |
ture was rather obscure, of course. l saw
that the professor was very deep. but | am !
not sure the girls appreciated their privilege. |
Edith Sands turned very red and almost |
chohed with laughter. Ii it had been any |
one else than Professor West 1 might have |!
imagined that he became a triie mixed |
and confusing on the Dliocene strata, but |
then he was certainly handsome man. BY |
the merest accident | happened iii the hall |
when the professor was putting on his over
coat, and found the teachers around him in !
m admirins circle. l must say that my |
acumen and knowledge of human nature /
never evinced itself so distinctly as when | |
engaged Professor West. He turned st once /
10 ME and spoke in tho most complimentary |
manner Of my observations OF the tertiary |
epoch. Nothing ever interested me so
much. We must talk it over thoroughly; it |
is most absorbing he declared; besides. we |
don't often have the advantage Of such an in
tellect as yours to slucidste abstruse mat
ters" Which proved how very much III
terestcd he was in this subject
Edith Sands came in from the library for a
book just as the professor closed the door be-
hind him. | noticed that sac wore a button
bole bouquet with Jacqueminot rose and
Smilax, which | am positive the professor
wore while delivering his lecture The artfui
mink must have picked il up somewhere
How did You come By those flowers, Miss
Edith.' demanded severely
The girl turned very red. Somebody gave
them TO me, she said IN insolent defiance.
You wicked girl" broks in Miss Turner,
s'do YOU remember Ansnias and Sapphirai
Those are the professors flowers You pert,
vain creature to suppose he would give them
10 q chit like you-it is shameful
Edith REDEEMED more and more, but could
see that she was tittering and laughing 10