Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-03-20
THE PROFESSORS
HEART STORY.

Inc spring air, with its subtle stir
Of quickening life, had forced an en-
trance into the old library, penetrating
through windows guiltless of the char
woman's cares for years, past CRIME
and cobwebs to the sole occupant of the
room. He rose slowly, inexplicably
wearying of the printed page before
him, and took down another book, tell
ing himself in justification that it was
a day for Horace, but after few min
utes the odes proved charmless. Nor
could philosophy, which he tried next,
chain his thoughts; they wandered
speculatively to a hitherto disregarded
volume on the topmost shelf with no
reason that he could fathom for their
fight. The slender book in its brown
dress seemed suddenly to possess some
charm which brought it into promi-
nence and compelled his attention.
The lash of curiosity touched him not
unpleasantly.
He returned to his chair with the
disturber of his peace in his hand and
propped it up against the ponderous
tome on the table while he polished his
SpttldNlSoy Mlth luGy WGlG ADJUST ltu
he took up the stranger with a tremu-
lous touch. To his fancy he was set
| ting wide the door into some enchanted
world, but after one comprehensive
glance at the title page his interest
waned; the treasures of his beloved
Greek literature found no rival in this
dreary treatise on Calvinism.
He pushed the book away impatient
ly and, jostled by a careless elbow, it
fell to the floor, its leaves fluttering
open in harsh protest. AS the old
scholar stooped-eonscience
to restore it to the table he discovered
a paper which had been Jared from
the pages lying alongside, and thinking
it some memoranda left by former
student he was about to replace it il
the book when his attention was ar.
rested despite himself.
The paper was folded and sealed ant
bore an address in a delicately- flowing
hand; it had evidently been written il
the days before envelopes were invogu
the days of his own young manhood
Singularly enough the superscriptiol
read: "To E. j." He sat looking at i
curiously with strangely accelerated
pulse. In all his life he had never re
ceived letter like that; the simple us
of initials argued an intimacy whicl
he had never known. What mail mat
ter had come his way-mere dry-as
dust reports and scientific article
which he had opened with steady fin
gers-had always been directed t
Erasmus Jenkinson, Esq.
Since the closing of the college an
for a long time before he had been tn
only frequenter of the library; whoeve
: had left the letter therefore had don
SO in the remote past and would nc
: reclaim it. The fashion of the pape
was old, the ink was faded. 1t was
dead message-one that had failed t
reach it's destination and if he replace
, 1t in those grim pages might lie undis
turbed for years and in the end careles
eyes would read it. Surely it was hi
by right of discovery and the addition
al right that it bore his initials.
The next instant the bit of wax wa
: removed and the creases in the thi
paper were smoothed out almost revel
emily. Jenkinson bent his head to rea
! the faint lines; after he had reache
the end he kept it still lowered.
= The hand holding the faint, musk
: scented sheet trembled, the professor
brain was in a whirl as he read an
} re-read the contents. Dear" Git ran
/ 81 have a secret to tell you-it's onl
three words and yet it holds all {
earth and all Of heaven to mel lov
you. l ought to wait for you to sa
that first, | know, but you are timit
, so l will give you courage. have see
this long time what is in your heart
look at mine now and then come quick
ly to Lefty"
, From that hour life held a differer
meaning for Erasmus Jenkinson. B