Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-12
The Professors
 Revenge
By G. K. HERBERT.


 ing to his absence from town, his lecture on The Aspirate in Greek is unavoidably postponed" ..
 This was the notice that greeted the crowd of students as they surged ir one mass to classroom No. 20 on the morning of June some two or three years ago.
 ''Hallol what's the meaning of this?" said Pennington. "The old fellow was here as late as ten o'clock last night, for was with him at the science picnic yesterday, and it was after ten by the time we got back He's gone off mighty quickl"
 Perhaps he hadn't time to get his lecture ready" suggested one.
 More likely his mothers dead,' said another
 "Ten to one he's in love, and gone off to pop the question:" added @ third. At this there was a general laugh, in which you would have joined if you had known the professor. Tall lean and angular, with decided stoop, end eyes that were screwed up almost to vanishing point, he was hardly the parsonage with whom to associate any idea of the tender pas sion. His, age, too, was against him, though no one knew exactly what tn at age was. If you saw him walking home from college along the espla- made you put him down at 30; but when you saw his face aglow with enthusiasm as he lectured on the beauties of the Greek particles, you changed your mind and said he might be 30.
 Anyhow. he was not popular. His dry Scotch hun1or was not appreci- ated-it very often bit too deeply into the feelings of his victim to be pleas ant, and all who came beneath the lash of his tongue bore him no small grudge for what he made them suffer. Then he lived absolutely apart from college life, not even mixing with the other members of the staff: Conse- quent1y he knew little of what was passing around him, and was given credit for knowing still less.
 He had never been known to miss a lecture; even when one morning he
 
 his classroom had been burnt out i'll the night, he calmly remarked to the crowd of students near the door: Il think, ladies and gentlemen, with your permission, we will deliver our lecture in the corridor" No wonder. thsrefcFe, tLst there weB no small stir vixen tb49 kastoFie notice stared the world unblushingly in the face.
 .sI wonder what it can be- said Eva Miller to her friend Jemima Bates, as they turned slowly from the class room door and walked away down the corridor. stPoor man, am afraid there is something wrong; and he has no one to look after him or do things for him. It seems very lonely life, {,
 70, he's perfectly happy in his work" replied Temima; 'sffe doesn't want anyone to look after him." Je1ni- ma judged all men (and women) by her own feelings, which is danger ous thing 10 do.
 ssI don't know" said her companion, doubtfully. However, it's no concern of mine. so I'm off to the tennis-field instead"
 Had she only known that It was very great concern of hers, she would have given the matter little more thought.
 The previous day, as young Pennlng- ton had said, had been the science picnic. Much to the surprise of eyery- body, the professor finally accepted his invitation-though he wrote first of all declining. A perusal of the list of the invited "arts" was the cause of his change of mind. The fact was Prof Mcyint was in love-it had taken some time to convince him of the fact, and he had argued it out pro and con. with himself in every imaginable way. But from the conclusion he could not escape; whatever his premises, the de duction invariably came out: There fore I love her"
 He began to notice it first in this way: Into his mind, as he was busy in the preparation of his lectures there would creep the sIrreptiticus thought: What will she think of this? How will she take that2v Then Nx enzzsad hsnaxsalE alrixsev pazzi47aras-.