The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-06-09
O "A - n . n z a.
Bear, Ii. The Kind You Have Always Bought
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THE PROFESSORS
HEART STORY.

The 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 1t 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
dress seemed suddenly to possess some
charm which brought 1t 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
spectacles; when they were adjusted
he took up the stranger with 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, II
fell to the floor, its leaves fiuttering
open in harsh protest. AS the old
scholar stooped-conscience
to restore it to the table he discovered
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 in
the book when his attention was ar
rested despite himself.
The paper was folded and sealed and
bore an address in delicately-fowing
hand; it had evidently been written in
the days before envelopeswere invogue
the days of his own young manhood
Singularly enough the superscription
read: "To e. j." He sat looking at it
curiously with strangely accelerated
pulse. In all his life he had never re-
ceived letter like that; the simple use
of initials argued an intimacy which
he had never known. What mail mat
ter had come his way-mere dry-as-
dust reports and scientific articles
which he had opened with steady fin
gers-had always been directed to
Erasmus Jenkinson, ESQ.,
Since the closing of the college and
for long time before he had been the
only frequenter of the library; whoever
had left the letter therefore had done
so in the remote past and would not
reclaim it. The fashion Of the paper
was old, the ink was faded. 1t was
dead message-one that had failed to
reach it's destination and If he replaced
it in those grim pages might lie undis-
turbed for years and in the end careless
eyes would read 1t. Surely 1t was his
by right of discovery and the addition
al right that it bore his initials.
The next instant the bit of wax was
removed and the creases in the thin
paper were smoothed out almost rever-
emily. Jenkinson bent his head to read
the faint lines; after he had reached
the end he kept it still lowered.
The hand holding the faint, musk
scented sheet trembled, the professors
brain was in a whirl as he read and
re-read the contents. Dear" Git RAM
II have a secret to tell you-it's only
three words and yet it holds all of
earth and all of heaven to mel love
you. 1 ought to wait for you to say
that first, know, but you are timid,
80 will give you courage. have seen
this long time what is in your heart;
look at mine now and then come quick
y to Lefty"
From that hour life held a different
meaning for Erasmus Jenkinson. BY