Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-04-08
THE PROFESSORS FAD.

Everybody knew that Professor
John Smithers Toddlewinker could
afford to buy all the rubber bands he
chose. still 1T was settled fact that
nothing pleased HIM so much as find
ing them or even stealing them Off
parcels on the SLY, and he always kept
the little pocket on the inside OF his
coat flied with rubber bands secured
in this way.
One clear, beautiful day in January
the professor was walking smartly up
the Beacon street mall. whistling
cheerily and observing everything as
was his won't He felt very happy,
for that morning friend had told
him that there was a tree on the
Common that the Autocrat had i'm
mortalized in single line and that
was very rare
Well he had seen it.; OF course it
being winter there was no foliage.
but he could imagine that till summer
came. and he had stood and gazed low
ingly at 1t. and viewed it from the
long path and the mall and from all
sides thoroughly, and he'd even cut off
a piece OF bark to examine with the
microscope when he thought nobody
was in sight; continuing up the hill
he had just got it in his notebook and
was putting the broad rubber band
about it. when CHANGING to look
across the street he caught the pretty
girl who occupies the window of the
infants Quitting and furnishing
store the main part of the day laugh
ing at him.
With an assumption of dignity he
did not feel, he turned about and
snapped it on, when-horror! it broke
the only handsome large band he
possessed, and he had stolen it from
Fred De Jones one Of his young men,
only the day before With groan,
he slipped the book into his pocket
and mounting the stairs to the street.
walked back down the hill.
In thinking of the tree. he soon for
got the band, and, as. we said, was
whistling cheerily. etc. when he
noticed quite a crowd of little chill
dren on the opposite side of the
street. They were evidently Back
Bay children out Ito recess from one
of the private schools in that vicinity,
as they were in charge of two ladies'
already halfway across the street
with some of them.
She was little dot of lady, with
an enormous cinnamon-b boa about
her throat and a very timid shrink
ing manner. She was trying to get
her detachment out of the way OF q
large coal team, which didn't seem.
disposed to stop. and at the same time
hold muff parcel done up in a
red napkin. and pocketbook with
a wide elastic about it
The Professor looked just in time
TO see her drop the bocl1etbook, and
Immediately ran out and held up the
horses despite the maledictions of
the driver who didn't want to stop on
the steep upgrade. until both squads.
OF children had crossed. then. pick
ing up the pocketboolk, he started to
overtake them.
They were already on the mall.
when at that moment he noticed the
rubber band. Stealthily pulling it off
he advanced his six foot-one of hui
mainly gracefully and inquired if she
had not dropped it. why YES.
Helen. said the tall lady CHANGING
severely at the little lady. how very
careless of YOU" Poor Miss Helen
blushed a rosy red and in her con.
fusion dropped the parcel in the red
napkin. The professor handed her
the pocketbook. at the same time skill
fully passing the beautiful rubber band
about his wrist and then CALAMITY
made a clutch at the parcel lying on
the snow. Man-like. he got it by the
corner splitting the contents in every
direction. .Oh. goOdy, goody. seed
cakes!'' cried the little boys and girls
and, like common. iow-priced crea-
lures they scrambled for them in the
dirt
There, there! Worse and worse!
Children, form ln line!" said the tall
lady, looking more severely than ever
at the conscious professor, who was
stammering apologies and floundering
in the snow helping pick the cakes
up; then to the helpless Miss Helen.
Big men are hateful, think--Thank
you, sir we can get along very nicely
now SIR" sharply as he still per-
sisted in picking them up. do you
imagine for an instant that we would,
If starving eat them once they have
lain upon the earthp Be SO kind rs
to pass my friend her pocketbook
elastic. Good day. sir! Children.
form" but the professor stopped to
boar no more.
Abou. p. m. that same day the
professionals daily duties done
thought he would take little walk
across the public garden to clear his
brain. He had got we'll on down the
avenue past the Ventome when he
noticed a trim little figure and the
fluttering ends of an enormous CHINA.
mon-bear b>a just ahead OF him.