The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-08-14

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"But you ought to bear it; and what
is more, you ought to put an end to
this arrangement. | believe YOU are
just as fond of her as you were ten
years ago.
Fond of hcri What put that into
your headP am not the man 1 was
ten years ago. | have no timc for love
and nonsense
please answer my question.
"You did not ask one"
Pardon me. | asked you if YOU
were not in loveP There! | wonder if
anyone ever saw professor blushing
before
"Pish! Rubbish! You make me look
like fooll' the professor grumbled;
and he flung himself into chair, and
took up newspaper wherewith he
screened his face.
"You can not deny that she was q
very pretty woman, he was heard to
mutter, as he presently turned the
sheet.
Mrs. Teesdale knew her man. She
let him alone for ten minutes, and
then challenged him to game of chess.
As they arranged the pieces the pro-
fessor said.
II sent polite message the day be-
fore yesterday, stating the hours at
which / am out every day; and asked,
as great favor. that she would prac-
tice during my absence"
"a very sensible suggestion. What
did she sayp"
| The professor laughed his celebrated
sardonic laugh. "She was very rude
said she never received messages
through servants. and that If had any
request to make must make it in per-
son.
] Beware! 1t is plan! She wants
to see the celebrated professor of ply
siology! You need not frown. | saw
a woman buying your photograph at
the stereoscopic the other day. Now,
you are caught in your own net, for
you know you never admit that women
are foolish.n
"But what am to do about Mrs.
Vernon's pianopn
my dear fidgety professor, cannot
imagine you climbing up Mrs. Vernon's
stairs; knocking at Mrs. Vernon's
door; aud begging of Mrs. Vernon to
give up Chopin because he interrupts
your scientific studiesl II she happens
to be nice-looking-"
Go on" the professor breaks in.
"You have the move.p
Then, as he absently followed Mrs.
Teesdale's lead. he muttered half
aloud: 1.-TWO lives were shipwrecked
by Mr.. Chopin before; at least mine
was.
The game lasted barely ten minutes,
and the professor was beaten. "a poor
victory" said Mrs. Teesdale; Il believe
you were thinking all the time of Mrs.
Vernon and her piano."
81 was not thinking of Mrs. Vernon
He snapped the words out quite vi
ciously. and presently bade his friends
goodnight.
Standing in the open doorway, half
in and half out, he spoke again. ~
shall send you my new address when I
move he said. II know 1t will come
to that.
There was work waiting for him
when he got home, but he was not In
the mood for work. He opened some
letters which had come for him by the
last post; gushing epistles, some of
st,sgEestrsqa WeRAan lRh0 allowed Tie.
fashion III funhing after the oleveresE
and most attractive man OF his day.
Strange to say, these letters did not
make him angry. .Gentleness and toll
Grafton for women seemed to increase
and multiply in him as his fame grew;
but not one of the many fair ones who
burnt incense before him could fiatter
herself that he was falling in love. He
was charming in every mood, and
nearly always pleasant OF speech.
Now aud then came crushing rebulke
or q whitening sarcasm, but immedi-
ately after followed the old sweet pleas
ant smile that each woman tried hard
| to win for herself. Whether in good
temper or bad, DIR. Gray was fascinat-
ing.
He was not very amiable, however,
this evening, for he was vexed at his
inability to work. Events in his life
which he had told himself were dead
and buried came crowding upon his
Clear and well-ordered brain. Memory
played him fantastic tricks. Imagina-
ton, more capricious than memory,
filed his study with the sweetest.
brightest pictures, and made his heart
beat as 1t had beaten ten years before
when
He took up books one after another
and flung them here and there about
the room; for, just as the mental pic
ture was fairest and most adorable
just as in imagination he felt two soft
arms round his neck and saw two sweet
eyes looking into his own, some one
stirred in the room overhead, and inn
mediately one Of Chopin's wild waltzes
filled the air about him. The visions
conjured up by memory and fancy fled,
| and the professor with an indescribable
expression on his face, leaned his ell
bows on the table and propped up his
head with a cheek on either hand,
rive mlnutcS-ten, passed tnusi then
he got up quietly and looked at his
watch. Ii was nearly half past 10.
at Is rather late to call on a strange
woman" he said; "but have no time
| by day, and II this goes on l shall go
mad. Why Ia the name of all that's
| distracting must she play that musicP"
He picked up the books that he had
flung about; touched some article upon
his study table without knowing that
he did so; then went to the door, open
ed 1t, and stood for second or two ir-
resolute, with the sound of Mrs. YER
Hou piaho Bull Ia HIS CUTS. Inc hcAS
moment he was out on the public stair
case and had begun the ascent to the
third floor.
TO ring Mrs. Vernon's bell, to be
admitted and to find himself at her
drawing-room door was the work of
few seconds. He got rid of the sleepy
looking servant by saying that her mis-
tress expected him; and, as she disap-
peared down the passage. he knocked.
A voice said: "Come in" but the play
ing did not cease. He went In, aud
still Mrs. Vernon played on.
She did not look round. She thought
it was tho servant who had come in to
fetch something.
The professor felt exceedingly un-
| comfortable; when Mrs. Vernon told
him to come and ask her himself to ar
range her practice for the hours he was
absent, he knew she did not mean him