The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-07-08
THE PROFESSORS FRIEND.

i THE PROFESSORS FRIEND.
"Hulda'' suddenly exclaimed the
professor, stopping.
Gould it be that the girl whom he
was to marry had not been listen
ing?
Perhaps it was easy not to listen
on day like this. The early vio-
lets filed the air. A bird sang a
rapturous melody to its mate. A
cluster of pale lilacs almost touched
her dress on the bench where they
sat.
But the professor had been talk
ing of Guy Champion. "And, you
see," he began again, "Guy Gramp-
ion is so much to me. We have
been so much to each other for so
many years. 1t began at school.
Then there were our college days
together"
eyes"
Van Ord paused. He had faint
sense of confusion. Hulda, though
she did not look at the figure at her
side, was conscious of its embarrass-
ment. How his clothes hung about
him. How old he looked. And vet
he and Champion were of the same
age. Was this what the life of
science, the life of scholar, did for
a man? What was that he was say
ing now2
81 had SO hoped yon would like
Guy"
She turned upon him at that, her
fgirrs face almost brutal for a cash.
"Guy, Guy and Guy againi Can
one hear nothing else? An, 1 am
tired of the old refrain at lastl''
She had risen, trembling, tumb-
ling the flowers he had brought her
from her lap to the ground. And
in an instant she was gone, leaving
the professor but the memory of the
steel-like light in her eyes, the curv-
ed twitchings of her red, open lips.
A sigh broke from him. Life
hitherto had been simple. Now
how complicated had all the universe
become. Until this time the hori-
zon had been bounded by the walls
of the laboratory, the library. Into
this secluded, shrine-like quietude
only one strong emotion had come
there had been friendship for Guy
Champion. But now there was first
love, cataclysmic, as every virgin
force.
X X X X X
"My dear fellow" said Champion,
"You must not urge your fiancee
to like me if she is not SO inclined,
Forced gifts are of no worth"
He was twisting the ends of his
moustache over an uncertain smile
that had lodged itself on his lips
1t was the day after the scene under
the lilacs. Van Ord had resolved
to tell his friend nothing and had
ended by telling all.
], "But T."
} "But you have a moral right tc
compel her to like me? No, YOU
were not going to. say that. But
say it for you. You picked her ny
twelve years ago, on a-curbstone.
"Guyr'
"oh, that is as good a way to de-
fine the situation as any other. o.
the founding, with her promises O
Bohemian beauty, you made, by
education, fair smile of a great
lady. When this is achieved yor
issue for short space from youl
, laborious seclusions; you see your
work in its hour of perfection. Yor
love it and-her. Well, as pay
ment it seems to you the least tha
, she should love your friend. But
, then, you see, all life is ingratitude
"GnyP exclaimed Van Ord again
with the accent of pain.
"Here she comes herself through
the garden. She walks we'll,
, rare gift in woman. Oh, yes, sh,
has the seductions. 1t will not b,
easy to you to leave her o-morrow.
'It will be very bitter"
They stood side by side as Huldi
approached the long open window
Van Ord made motion to go for
: wardito meet her. She checked
ihim with gesture. She advance,