The record-union., 1897-03-07
HERR OR HUSBAND? i?

| The summer semester at Leipsic had
| begun, and with it the early morning
lectures. Though 1T was not yet
o'clock. Cynthia Nesbit, American girl
and Studentin, was on her way from
her lodgings without to the university
| within the old city.
This early start was not going to be
bad at all once the wrench of making
it was over she concluded, as she
walked swiftly along Peterssteinweg
| towards Konigsplatz and the Prone
nades across which lay her way to the
inner city. And the coffee she had not
had time for would taste all the better
| after this interval of exercise and
mental activity. Then, too, there was
the gain Of an additional hour for work
a day. She had been doing nine all
winter; she ought with this to make it
ten. By the time she had mentally
mapped out a scheme that should ac-
complish this, her destination was
reached, and the moment she was
dreading had come.
1t was the first lecture of a new
course for her. which would mean in
this university, where women were
only admitted as guests and were
usually conspicuous minority of one
or two, an ordeal as by fire of curious
gaze. Every man in the room would
stare at her. those near her would
watch every move she made, and all
would sum her up and pronounce upon
her and her presence there among
them, inaudibly indeed, but with eyes
that would express quite as plainly as
speech their owners opinion, which
would be condemnatory, resentful, toll
Grant, or approving, according to his
attitude towards the burning question
| of women or no women in the German
universities.
But they were kindly creatures after
all, these German Burschen, and her
dread of facing a new lot of them was
not so great as to prevent her entering &
the big lecture-room with the proper
| self possession. She was among the
| first to arrive as she had meant to be,
| for though the city clocks were on the
| stroke of seven, the Akademischer
| Viertel would give fifteen minutes more
| time; and the students who lived in
| the vicinity were just getting up, to
come rushing in later, looking, as they
| were, tumbled but a moment before
out Of bed into their clothes, unbathed
and unaired. There are drawbacks to
the pursuit Of the higher education in
Germany for a woman of dainty habits.
| A choice was before her, but Cynthia
took, as she always did, an humble seat
| toward the rear; and having arranged
| her notebook and stylographic pen on
the desk before her, she buried herself
| in fha h0nL ch in ha hoh of
taking with her for refuge on these
| occasions. Nor did she raise her eyes
| from it's page till the commotion of
arrival and it's consequent remark were
over. The young men poured in after
her till the great room was packed, for
| the Professor was a noted political
economist and drew large crowds even
at seven in the morning. And the pre-
sence of woman produced of course,
| the usual sensation. Cynthia felt,
though she would not see it; and she
had to compress her lips very tight to
keep from smiling. There was always
something ludicrous to her in the atti-
| tude Of men to this question; it seemed
| to her so much a matter of prejudice
and feeling in those who nevertheless
claimed a monopoly of innate and ac-
| quired reason. However, she main
| tanned a properly serious face and a
steady eye on her book till the shuffling
Of feet-the German students mode of
applause-announced the Professors
| entrance.
At the same moment a tall young
German, late and breathless, but fresh
faced and carefully dressed came hur-
| riedly in and halted with bow and
| murmured Bite at her side-there
was but one vacant seat in the room
and that was next to her. She looked
| up at him, and then, instead of oblig-
| ing him to pass her, as according to the
etiquette of these lecture-rooms she
| had a right to do, she moved along her.
| self, thus yielding him the end seat
| she had pre-empted, a sacrifice of self
| to civility that made him bow again
and murInur a sincere word Of thanks
| AS she responded with the proper
| ''Bitte sehr,' their glances met for
| moment, his warming from the first
I surprise and Acknowledgement into
something that made her turn abruptly
| away to watch the Professor ascend
| his rostrum.
| On their way back to her notes her
(
certain head that she had expected to
find before her in this lecture 1t was
shapely, blond, American head,
poised on fine full neck and looking
small and elegant as a Greeks among
the big, broad, ponderous German
crania. Cynthia had got to be an OBJ
server of heads in her year and more
of slipping into back seats at Leipsic.
DIT
| the next three quarters of an hour
were devoted to listening to it and TAX
| ing it down for study and comparison
afterwards. Cynthia forgot all else,
| her neighbor included, till at the end,
in rising to depart, he made her an
| other low bow. He was evidently
very sure OF himself, this young gen
| tleman; and he was a gentleman, elab-
| crate and high-bred in manner, at
tractive in appearance, tall, fair, and
leaner and more graceful in build than
| the average German.
AN aristocrat, probably" she said to
herself. as she followed slowly the rush
| Of outgoing men down the stairs and
| into the court. He was lingering
| there, and she had TO pass him on her
| way to the exit into Universitatss-
| trasse. but she did not let him see that
| she saw him, and, once out in the
| street she forgot him quite, for here
| the American Joined her-he of the
| blond, shapely head. There was moth
| ing elaborate in his manner, which was
| that of one good comrade to another.
| as he raised his hat and fell into step
| beside her
| Good morning, Miss Nesbit. Thought
| I'd Waif and a