The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-11
1.-THE Girl From Across. .

couSiy' dHlTHlnS that II was the apode
of the Mar
The Girl looked up at the attic door
IN absolute dismay. She was pretty,
decidedly pretty, and young. and
stylishly dressed She lived over the
way in two charming rooms, where
pretty girls like herself and nice boys
We're glad to take tea She had heaps
of friends. and studied at the college
Why she, the daughter of an Ameri-
can citizen, should aspire to medical
honors in Aud Reekie was by no means
clear "Poppa," busy in Baltimore
making dollars, pulled his chin wills
ker, and guessed there were diploma
factories enough their side the streak
But Poppa" eventually had to give
way, as every one alike had to where
Maisie was concerned. So a self-posses-
sed damsel of twenty-five summers and
three brass-bound trunks. marked with
Walk.
And He-the man who knew every
thing, and was a professor at the col
lege-IiVed herei
She hesitated a moment, doubtful of
the propriety of intrusion He was a
great man, and a professor of integral
philosophy, which is a very abstruse
subject to take a degree in, still more
so to teach.
The Man knew everything-excep
how to compel buttons to remain on
shirts, and to keep mice from his pro-
visions, to tidy up his rooms, and the
principles of household economy, gen
eral comfort and such like tri1eS, which
were not included in the curriculum Of
any college he had ever heard Of being
even outside the limit of integral phil
osophy, and, as affairs that chiefly con-
cerned women, of no matter.
Then she went boldly up to the door
and knocked.
The Man was sitting at a large table
covered with papers, his trousers turn
ed up and his feet immersed in a pan
of once tepid water
I Oblivious 10 everything outside his
own thought he sat and wrote
He was engaged Oh great work, to
be published in two volumes at the
scientific booksellerS'-and also in ad
ding many lines and burrows on his
face
Life was short. but the power of man
is great. In his short travail he had
held the lamp of truth to many hidden
mysteries. What secret should escape
him2 What line of demarcation stay
his search? Meanwhile. there was one
thing only-to work.
That was why his eyes peered dimly
over his dull, dark folios, and his feet
splashed in the cold water. He had for
gotten to take them out.
His pen shook a, little as the grabbed
characters formed themselves on the
sheets of his manuscript. DOggedly he
wrote on, exuItant. determined, while
some one knocked. unheeding-
THE Principal Vitae" He under
scored the headline, and began fresh
aragraph. as some one entered-'The
Principle of Life is-a pretty grill!
That is not what the professor meant
to write in his great treatise, nor IS 1t
what he would have acknowledged or
realized at any ordinary moment do
not pretend to know the psychological
reason that explains the phenomenon.
1t may have been the retina of his eye
received an impression which disturbed
and dominated the current of his
I ~ f1o1.
transcribed Anyhow it was there. in
black and white, and anyhow. she was
there also, clad in dainty muslin.
He looked dreamily at the bright fig
ure from over his clouded glasses His
tired gaze rested on the blue OF her
ewes. the gold of her hair, the red of
her mouth and the freshness of her
bright young face as on a beautiful
picture destined only to fade Then ne
Even then, however. his mind. bent
on the great work. was not wholly
equal to the situation. He addressed
her Iaconica1ly, as he would have done
the charwoman who tended him.
Well he grumped.
The pretty girl looked at him for a
moment A half stifled laugh at his
surliness rose to her lips. Then the
amused merriment died out from her
ewes and they renewed their look of
sympathy.
''Nyelli"
And I am the girl over the way
What girl-what Way2"
He hadn't noticed her! Her feminine
sense was distinctly hurt Other men
/ Observant admiration was more aDpar-
ent even to obtrusiveness- But II i
not pleasant to Seel one has been need
/ lessly ignored.
I live on the other side of the street
1 she explained, flushing slightly and
study under you at the college
], - q T77pn1OTlZo7 her now. as
a collector does an unlabeled specimen
in box. Back row, pink complexion
/ a flower generally on desk In front OF
1 her Answers averagely intelligent.
Wont You sit DOWN." he said, with
well meant politeness, indicating to her.
4 by a wave of the hand, the only unoccu-
pied chair.
She suppressed a smile as she noticed
its bottomless condition
NO. thanks she responded, Il would
rather stand "
There was a pause He listlessly fin
gered his pen, but his brain was tlred
and moved slowly The girl returned to
the object of her visit.
'.I-I-heard you were Hand brought
you these''-indicating the grapes in the
basket.
He raised his brows and nodded.
Can I do anything
Il think not he replied absently- q
need nothing
''PerhaDs"-s made the suggestion
with diffidence-'t perhaps I could tidy
I'M
He looked round on the litter in sur
prise.
The room was no more oalatial than
its approach suggested. The one window
looked out on the 1ank telegraph poles
as comrades and commanded charm
ling view of the chimneys over the way.
For furniture there was a wardrobe. an
old armchair that did duty also as bed:
a rush bOttOmed chair. cupboard. a
few cooking utensils and some chemical
apparatus grouped round the hole in
the wall called by courtesy a fireplace
and lastly and chiefly, large kitchen
table and-the man.
The table contained chiefly papers
It's drawers held some scientific instru-
ments and a mousetraD. The WARDROBE
held old clothes The cupboard servec
as a food store for both man and mice
And the man contained knowledge.
Tidy up2 It's all very tidy, thank