The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-07-26
Select Story.
A PUFF OF WIND.
From Chambers Journal.

ViOusiy, iu the 1Onu expectation OF fecelV
| ing large number of advanced pupils
Miss Peek had engaged several extra as
sistants capable of teaching advanced sub
i jects at advanced salaries; but at the be
ginning of the session, in spite of diligen
advertising and delivering of pink covered
prospectuses, her anticipations had beef
but meagerly realized.
i Now, at the close of the last term, sh,
had leisure to brood over the deplorabl
fact that she had paid more to her assist
ants than she had received from her pu
pills, and to wonder whether she could ven
ture to carry on her establishment TO
another year. No one had any idea tina
she was in difficulties, for she had managed
to scrape enough sovereigns together t,
settle with her assistants and to entertain
the parents and friends of her pupils OIL
the prize giving day in such fashion al
to convince them that the school was in /
most fourishing condition; and, while the
parents and friends and the emancipate(
scholars gobbled up the ices and teas an6
buns provided for them in the music room
they little dreamed of the months of star
vation which those dainties had cost Miss
Peek, who at the moment was rushing
about smiling and talking to everybody il
the brightest manner imaginable. Ever
the housekeeper was ignorant of the true
state of affairs; for Miss Peek early in the
session had led her to believe that the
wretched diet she indulged in was accord
ing to doctor orders.
1t was not until the house was quiet
and empty that Miss Peek, as has been
said, came to consider the results of the
dismal farce in which she had played the
leading part for nearly ten months. The
afternoon following the breakup she sat
at the desk in her little parlor, poring over
ledger, every page of which bore some
depressing detail The window was open,
for it was blazing day in the end of June,
and now and then puff of warm wind
stirred the fading hair on her temples and
played fippantly with sheaf of unpaid
bills that lay on one side of the desk.
"Quite-quite hopeless T sighed Miss
Peek after three hours wrestling with fig
ures e'All gone in two years | should
never have tried the school on my own
account. 1t was better shaving away as
assistant. And then that awful letter
this morning from Curle & Coyle I never
thought should have lived to receive such
letter. She picked up the document
which lay among the unpaid bills, and re-
garded it with terror and disgust. eff |
could only settle that, think could get
the other people to wait till the beginning
of next session-if | have next session.
But where on earth am to get twenty
five pounds And / once dreamed Of
helping them at h-home Miss Peek
laid the letter aside, and bowed her head
on the ledger.
Two tears trickled down the pounds and
pence columns, and others would have fol-
lowed had not knock at the parlor door
caused Miss Peek to arrest them ere they
dropped. The unhappy lady sat up and
blew her nose.
aCome in, she said, and blew her
nose again.
Professor Bumpus,' said the house
keeper, ushering in the gentleman who
had taught advanced mathematics to one
advanced young lady during the past ses-
sion. The professor taught in several la
dies schools, and had few private pupils,
whereby he earned moderately uncom-
Portable income, the greater portion OF
which he spent on old books OF alchemy
and astrology. He had no one dependent
on his exertions, and his few acquaint-
ances were the proprietors of second hand
book shops. He was As and looked ten
years older; his face was clean shaven and
wrinkled; he was tall and thin and he was
the possessor of an immense head, dessl-
tute of hair and of peculiar knobby ap-
pearance. Altogether he was far from
being prepossessing, yet he had kindly
eyes, and his smile, when he gave it lib
erty, was wonderfully genial.
He entered Miss Peek's parlor some
what bashfully, and when the lady blew
her nose for the fourth time he stammered
something about hoping she had not con-
tracted summer cold, and begged leave
to shut the window.
''Pray leave it open, professor, said
Miss Peek, recovering herself, and closing
the ledger with one hand while she gave
him the other. The weather is suff :
eating
s'True, returned the professor; but
YOU should be careful of chills. However,
/ suppose it s.none of my business.
Miss Peek smiled in spite of her mis-
cry; the professor employed the latter
phrase so often.
II thought you were going off on hol-
iday today she remarked.
III leave tonight, he replied. "l-l
merely called for book was careless
enough to leave-a book on comic sections
i'm my class room. | wouldn't have
troubled you, but the maid informed me
that everything had been cleared from the
school; and
eyes: But l know where your book
is. IF you wait moment III bring 1t
to YOU. You are going to London, sup
pose 2?
The professor bowed, and replied In
the affirmative. London, or rather the
British museum had been the scene OF his
annual holiday for years. BY careful
saving during the session he usually con-
triyed to accumulate enough money to
keep him there for month; but this sum
mer by great fortune, he was the posses
sor of funds sufficient TO sustain him for
nearly double that period, and he was
looking forward to glorious spell OF hard
research among certain literary treasures
of the museum. When Miss Peek had
left the room to procure the volume on
comic section, he smiled to himself and
rubbed the left breast of his shabby frock-
coat, within which reposed his pocket
book. He was going to have such holl-
day
He seated himself near the door and
relapsed into pleasant meditation. Ere a
minute had passed, however, he was DIS
turbed, not by the entrance of Miss Peek,
but by piece of paper which puff OF
wind blew across the room to his large,
clumsily shod feet He stopped to pick 1t
up; but before he touched it his eye caught
the following words in typewriter char
acters Immediate payment, failing
A.. l. iod'