Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-05-22
LARRY'S GOLD FOSSIL"
True to Her Promise She Adds
Him to Her Collection.

True to Her Promise She Adds
Him to Her Collection.
There was so much talk about Prot
Chesney before he arrived, that Larry
declared herself sick of the subject
Augusta, having spent several weeks
in his company the previous summer,
at the house of their mutual friend Mrs
Martson, felt she had prior right to
him-''A primary mortgage on him, Z"
Larry said, in her girlish impertinence;
Gertrude. who had met him several
times, and who was considered very
clever, called him "a congenial spirit"
Mrs. Austin, knowing his social stand
ing and large income, declared him "a
model man, one in a thousand;" Mr..
Austin pronounced him ''an up-and-
down good fellow;'' even Jim Annsley,
! their cousin and adopted brother, ex-
pressed appreciation of him Larry
was the only one of the family who
had not met him, and with her usual
preversity made up her mind not to like
him He was learned in mathematics,
which only scored against him, in' her
eyes.
1.-The calculating power alone should
seem to be the least human of
qualities" she quoted, her small nose
in the air. ''There is something wrong
about man whom eUerybody likes. My
prophetic soul tells me shall not take
to him."
"Your prophetic soul makes mis-
takes sometimes" put in Jim wickedly.
"l've no doubt you'll succumb to his
charms before he has been here a
week. But for sisterly affections sake
don't interfere; do give Augusta a
chance"
Don't alarm yourselfl' cried Larry,
loftily. I'm not susceptible, and
dried-up, fusty old professors don't
appeal to me in the slightest. / shall
be truly thankful when this wonderful
admirable Crichton' has been and
gone. I'm positively sick of the sound
of his name"
prof. Chesney is certainly a Won
derful man." began Jim, sententiously;
but Larry pounced on him and he was
ANONYMOUSLY put to fight.
The Wednesday the professor was
expected Larry went for long walk;
she met Ned Erksine and Harry VIM
throp, two young artists with whom
she was good friends, and enjoyed her
self very much, getting in barely in
time to dress for dinner. They were
all assembled round the Ia BILE whom she
slipped into her place, and there was a
reproof in her mothers voice as she
said: "My third daughter, Larinda,
Prof. Chesney."
If there was anything that her third
daughter hated, it was being ad-
dressed by her baptismal name. With
q mutinous pout Of her red underlip
she bowed hastily, and it was not until
she had disposed OF her soup that she
looked at her opposite neighbor.
tall, thin man, with brown hair and
short brown beard and mustache thick
ly streaked with gray, large, dome
like forehead, and near-sighted gray
eyes that looked kindly at her through
his spectacles. He was a little sur
prised at the hostile expression in the
brilliant brown eyes, which surprise
deepened into astonishment when, in
answer to low-voiced remark from
Jim, the young lady replied, also in a
lOW LOuC, Dub oO budb AlC
heard every word: 81 think he Is an
old fossil" notwithstanding this, sew
eral times during the meal his eyes
strayed to the white-robed figure, the
bent, shining, brown head, and once,
in the midst of a remark from Au-
gusta, he turned to listen to a peal of
merry laughter from Larry.
Several of her friends came In during
the evening, and she devoted herself to
their entertainment, completely ignor-
ing the professor: When she kept up
this behavior for nearly a week, 1t at
tracted the attention of her family as
well as that of the visitor; and when
gentle hints were scorned, Larry was
severely reprimanded
"You are positively unladylil1el'' said
Mrs Austin; land / insist on, at least,
civility He must think you an illman-
nered child"
81 daresay do seem q child to his
advanced years" saucily answered
Larry.
But what is your objection to him?"
asked her mother. ITO me he appears
a most kindly, estimable gentleman"
"Ughr' cried her spoiled daughter.
with n gesture OF deep disgust. IF
there is one thing that ! despise more
than another, it is that word estima-
ble,' as applied to people. Call them
good, bad, weak, strong, brave, cow
ardly-anything but 'estimabler"
You are exceedingly impcrtinentT
answered Mrs Austin, who was now
very angry II insist on your being po-
lite TO Prof. Chesney. and doing your
share toward entertaining him, or
shall certainly complain of you to your
father. Leave the room, miss"
A little ashamed, and wholly angry,
Larry whisled out of the room, almost
into the professors arms, with such
force as to rather stagger him. With
hasty Excuse me-" she sped along the
corridor and up the stairs, while the
'estimablc gentleman" stood and
looked after her.
'An old fossilr' he murmured, with
slight smile, stroking his beard.
Shortly after this, TO the surprise Of
all, Larry suddenly changed her tactics,
and at dinner one day addressed the
professor. He answered courteously,
and very readily joined in an argument
between herself and Jim. Her remarks
were bright and amusing, II somewhat
crude, and the brown eyes and change
full face were very attractive. In the
evening she played and sang for him,
and was as sweet and bewitching as the
heart of man could desire, much to the
surprise of some, and the annoyance Of
others, of her family.
''She means mischiefr' thought Jim,
uneasily. Are you beginning to sue
cumb to the professors charms?" he
whispered. "You know / gave you n
week"
Il am thinking of getting up a col
lection of fossils" she answered, with
a mocking laugh, ''and this is too fine
specimen to lose. Don't you dare in
terfereI'
Poor wretch rejoined Jim. He