St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-05-12

way the preference for myself.
| had mum beress answers
to my advertisement for professor,
but l tossed them all aside and en-
gagged Prof East. The moment my
eyes rested upon him l felt intuitively
that the very person | desired had
presented himself. So handsome. SO
very handsome, in spite of immense
green goggles; so gentle and refined,
and SO good, SO innocently good, I en-
gagged him at once on the easiest terms.
Indeed, Prof East declared so appre-
ciative of the great advantage of en-
joying our society that he almost for
got the question of salary. He was
quite Indifferent to money. found
him willing to come for q mere pit
lance, which went far to bias me in his
favor, as it always does seem hard to
pay out so much money to teachers.
The flutter of nerves mentioned above
was occasioned by the arrival Of the
professor He was actually in the
| house. All tho teachers were struck
| by his ingenious manner and straight
forward. beautiful candor.
He says he never met more
charming set of ladies'" observed
Miss Leonard, the English teacher.
He says the girls are not to bis taste;
he despises such young things; he says
my eyes are fascinating and full of in
telligent expression"
ma fol! Your eyes, indeed!" ejacu-
lated Nam selle Adele, the French
teacher. He VOWS my retrousse nose
is piquante, charmante. All, monsieur
is one grand gentleman.
Il don't believe in fattery," inter-
jected Miss Wenham. Nobody insults
me by compliments. The professor
thought Twas one of the girls; indeed,
never saw a man so amazed as when
| told him / was a teacher" Miss
Wenham locke every day of forty-five
years.
He is very near-si ghted,' Ircmind-
ed her.
Not at ALL" insisted Miss Wen
ham. He only wears glasses to
shade his eyes and he always says
| just what he thinks
Putting on my glasses | drew out
note. 1t was from the professor.
was determined to read it merely as
check to their vanity and conceit.
Let me see,' / began, quite as if the
idea had that moment occurred to me.
He says in his note: / am coming
early to have a better opportunity of
knowing alady whom l have long
admired for her talents and erudi-
tom" Without the smallest notice
OF decidedly envious laugh, folded
the note and went to my room to read
up on the miocene period. The pro-
lessor was to lecture on the miocene
period. After taking my seat and
leaving my glasses on the table-they
always made me look ten years older
i went down TO see Prof East. To
nv amazement there sat Mann selle
Adele in her best black silk. with
crimson trimmings, talking in her ex-
citable foreign way! There, on the
other side. was Miss Leonard in her
best plaid. smiling in her bland amia-
bility. Miss Wenham. in her Sunday
cashmere, ogled him in front. To do
the professor justice. he seemed rest
less and in evident expectation of
| some one else. AS he turned at once
to me, felt certain that l was the
person for whom my handsome young
| professor waited. We discussed ex-
tinct pachyderms of the miocene
period. I made some strong points,
to which he yielded without argument.
Miss Wenham whispered quite audi
bly, that the professor had not chance
| to put in a word.
When we were passing into the
lecture-room observed that he look
ed at Edith Sands, who contrived to be
in the way. and that she laughed
rather pertly. Before l could speak to
her the professor said. in a low tone:
What great figure you have, my
dear lady. queenly. positively queen
ly."
heard that silly Eva litter SO rudely
that common decorum induced me to
send her to back seat. she IS con-
sidered beautiful by some people, but
to my thinking her face is weak; be-
sides, she has round, chubby figure.
I had it from the professor himself
that he admired queenly figure. The
lecture was rather obscure, of course;
/ saw that the professor was very
deep, but I am not sure the girls APP
preciated their privilege Eva Noel
turned very red and almost choked
with laughter. If it had been any
body else but Prof East might have
imagined that he became trifie mixed
and confusing on the miocene strata,
but then he was certainly handsome
man. By the merest accident hap
pened to be in the hall when the pro-
lessor was putting on his overcoat,
and found the teachers around him in
an admiring circle. must say that
my acumen and knowledge OF human
n ature never evinced itself SO distinct
ly as when Iengaged Prof. East. He
turned at once to me and spoke in the
most complimentary manner OF my
1 ohsnrvations IF the tertiary epoch.