Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-04-19
A PROFESSORS FAD.

Everybody knew that Professor John
Smithers Toddlewinker could afford to
buy all the rubber bands he chose, still it
was settled fact that nothing pleased
him so much as finding them or even steal
ing them off parcels on the sly, and he al
ways kept the little pocket on the inside
of his coat filed with rubber bands Sc
cured in this way.
This was well known among the stu
dents, some Of them even saying he would
hook rubber band Off a Testament, and
it was a regular joke with them TO ask
him for one just TO see the woebcgone look
come over his face; for rather than part
with one of his precious bands he would
help on a lesson, or even excuse you alto
gether, and the college journal had squibs
on the professors fad every month.
One clear beautiful day in January the
professor was walking smgrtly up the
Beacon street mall, whistling cheerily and
observing everything as was his wont. He
felt very happy for that morning friend
had told him that there was tree on the
common that The Autocrat had immortal
lied i'm a single line and that was very rare.
First-It had been trausplanted from the
Gardner Green estate ON Pembcrton hill
some years before; therefore il recalled
fcssor was a profound student.
Second-It was the Ginkgo bilboa, of the
thin, sparsely foliaged character, q native
of Asia, the trees of which the professor
was Just then deeply interested i'm, and
Thirdly and lastly, it was the only Spcci-
men of its kind i'm the east, probably in
the country. which of course made it vastly
. more valuable
Well. NE had seen 10; of course 10 being
winter there was mo- foliage but he could
imagine that till summer came, and he had
stood and g8zcd lovingly at it., and viewed
it from the long path and the mall and
from all sides thoroughly, and had even
cut off piece of the bark to examine with
the microscope when he thought nobody
was in sight; continuing up the hill, he
had Just got it, i'm 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
laughing at him.
With an assumption Of dignity he did
not feel, he turned about and snapped it
on, when-horrorl il broke-the only hand
some large band he possessed, and he had
stolen it from Fred De Jones, one Of his
Young men, only the day before. With a
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 forgot the
band, and, as we said, was whistling cheer
ily. etc, when he noticed quite a crowd OF
little children on the opposite side of the
street They were evidently Back Bay
children out TO recess from one of the pr
vate schools i'm that vicinity, as they were
in charge Of two ladies, evidently teachers
one of whom was already half way across
the street with some Of them.
She was % little dot Of a lady, with al
enormous cinnamon bear boa about he
throat. and "A very timid, shrinking man
ner She was trying to get her detach
ment out Of the way Of a large coal team
which didn't seem disposed 10 stop, and a
the same time hold muif, parcel don
nm in a red napkin. and a pOckctDOOk wit
a wide elastic about it.
The professor looked just in time to Sc
her drop the pocketbooN, and immedlatel
ran out and held up the horses, despite tn
maIedictions of the driver, who didn'
want to stop ON the steep up grade, unit
both squads of children had crossed, ther
picking up the pocketbook, he started t
overtake them.
They were already on the mall, when a
that moment he noticed the rubber bant
Stealthily pulling 10 Oh hc advanced hi
six-foot-onc of humanity gracefully and u
ouired il She had not dropped it. "Wh!
YES. Helen" said the tall lady, glancing 81
verclv mt the little lady. chow very carcle'
of YOU" Poor Miss Helen blushed ro-
red and in her confusion dropped the pc
eel in the red napkin. The professor hau'
ed her the p0ckotbOOk. at the same tim
skiIIfullv passing tine beautiful rubber ban
about his wrist and then CALAMITY made
clutch at the parcel lying ON the sno'
Manlikc, he got 10 by the corner spllH
the contents in every direction 30
goody, goodv, seed cakcs' cried the lit
bows and girls, and like common, low price
creatures they scrambled for them, dirt
no dirt
"Tbere, there! Worse and worsel Chi
dren-form in lne!" said the tall lad
looking more severely than ever at u
conscious professor who was stammert
apologies and laundering in the sno
helping pick the cakes up; then TO u
HELPLESS Miss Helen, big men are hat
full. l think-Thank you, sir, we can z
along very nicely now. Sir" sharply,
he still persisted in picking them up, z
you imagine for an instant that we woul
starving, eat them once they have la
upon the earth? BE so kind as to pass II
friend her pocketbook elastic. Good ia
sir. Children, form but the profess
stopped to hear no more.
About 3 p. m. that same day the profe'
or-his daily duties done-thought
would take little walk across the PUB
garden 70 clear his brain. He had <
well down the avenue past the Nendon
when he noticed trim little figure and t
4 81