The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-01

curiosity as would have delighted his
doctor. A crowd of opera singers
c'tme out of the restaurant at the
corner, and as the latticcd doors
swung like pendulums. he had winks
OF views OF u sanded floor, round
tables. walters in white linen jackets,
little hillocks OF golden bread piled on
the counter. little green forests of
chicory, tumbers OF red wine. The
opera singers were talking away ana
singing airily scraps of Rossini and
Verdi rs ii there WAS nothing in the
world so common rs grand opera.
The women were fat and reminded
him OF the rue de Ia Paix and the
boulevard DIES ltaliens, and the men
had beautiful throats rising above
their low cut collars. And then he
looked over the way again. She was
ut the piano singing, with her beauti-
full head on one side like birds.
"Monsieur Nlicrobee, Monsieur!
Your new milk will he hold If you do
not soon drink it up." called Laughing
Nanette from the balcony above the
entresol and pelted him with a rose.
Professor Microbe smiled. Not the
way he smiled when he evolved q new
theory or when he read his scientific
papers. or even as he smiled in the
stiilly starched bosom OF his own fam.
lily, but n genuine smile that said, 81
don't care, Nanette," and he caught
the rose and fastened it in his button.
hole.
The beautiful woman was going to
the opera. A carriage was ut the
door, land she stood before the mirror,
pulling out the rich pulls OF her night
black hair and fastening q red rose
behind her ear. Her lovely arms were
upliiicd, and u song and u laugh came
from her red mouth. Some ono wrap
ped IL cloak about her, gave her her
fan, glasses. gloves and flowers, and
then she was gone.
Is it necessary TO explain that Pro.
lessor Mcrobe followed her to the
opera, nearly paralyzinc Nanette when
she met him in the corridor dressed IN
! faultlcss evening attire and looking so
distinguished and every inch PROBES.
sor?
He looked about the grand old
building, crowded with women and
here and thcr" tn" black oasis of a
man "'''" with .dze
rent and ..iilr faces and
bald heads and peculiar bumps OF
quite number OF learned professors
apd distinguished NJ. DIS. These sat
listening to the music of civilian
Tell" srunting contentedly Over the
sweetest passages and ut the difficult
bars, saying broadly and loudly,
and not bacteria, music and not meta.
physics, was the very best thing in life.
Under the mummy cloths in which
tie professor had persistently wrap
ped his soul, he was - good deal like
othermen. There wasn't anything he
wouldn't do. nothing he wouldn't ell.
ioy,if only he was kept in public coun.
ten;,nce by those OF his own kind. aud
the sight OF those familiar bumps-for
no man in the world whoknew OF such
things could fail to recognize the
bumps OF our learned men, once he
had seen 'eu-did more to revolu.
tionize the professor than gal
Ions OF prps'ne or whateve might he
the stuff dyspeptics are made OF. He
ut once and forever flung his theory
about midnight suppers to the deuce,
as his doctor had ordered, when he
heard her say to some favored NOR.
tails: "come home to supper with us
after the opera"
And that night after the opera he fol.
lowed her home, and went again to
his balcony to gaze into that free,
Jolly, joyous dining room, where no
blinds were pulled down and where
people sat about eating chicken salad
with OF! in it and boned turkey and
cold breasts OF pheasants with dry
champagne.
lie went into his room finally, and,
heating up :, little tin OF water over
the gas, took his nightcup-a cup OF
boiling water. What would Mrs.
Microbe say to yon scene OF revelry
and cold turkey, to the piano trolling
out in the midnight air, to the gay
voices, to him listening and watch
ing outside? His thoughts went
back to the pure ii stitlly starched
bosom OF his family in their far off
home; he remembered thu sedate or.
der OF everything, the rules governing
his always tidy home. the regular
hours, the days for doing this and
the days for doing that, the absolute
correctness OF everything and every
body. Life went OH in u groove, and
was marrow. but pure and sweet and
clean. He had the best OF it, he knew,
over there was much tinsel and flip.
pancy, and too much laughing aud
singing. lie liked that too, or he
thought he would il he might try ii
once. 1t was u little hard that Oat-
meal mush should be so tasteless and
chicken salad SO full OF flavor. What
would Mrs. Microbe say to a mid.
night supper in her leather hung din.
ing-room. BY no flight of fancy could
he think OF her as sweeping her hand
around in GENIAL, general way, and
saying to all who might be present:
Come home to supper, all of you.
We will find something to eat, 1
know"
Professor Microbe wrapped his
dressing gown around him and crept
out upon the balcony. How Jolly
they were across the way, singing
civilian Tell" After all, did his
theories and his oatmeal mush diet
and his laws of abstinenced do him any
more good than "Willam Telr' and
boned turkey! olive us God Almighty
intended you should. Fat and drink
and enjoy this beautiful world 1t is
good world. be good and happy in
it. God hates q sortlid heart
The professor reached out to Nan
cites lovely rose vine, he plucked off
every royal sweet blossom and, like a
boy throwing snowballs, he flung
them across the way upon the bal.
cony. And the next day, in writing
up items for the paper, l made The fol.
lowing: professor Ebenezer Microbe,
the distinguished scientist, who has
been spending some time in the
city, returned home this morn
ing. finding that the climate OF the
south did not agree with him.
Catharine Cole in New Orleans Picay-
une.