The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-06-24
ProfessOrV anderhoff'S
Conversion
BY ADA MARIE PECK.
Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story Pub. Co,

THAT pretty young woman like
4 Pamela should care for the eld-
erly professor Was one of the anoma-
lies of life. 1t was another that he
should be so totally Indifferent to
her evident infatuation.
When demonstrated with, she de-
clarcd that she adored him; that his
blue eyes behind their glasses were
mild and kind; that his slightly bent
form stood for just so much erudi-
ton; that she positively loved the
little bald spot which shone out from
his fair, curly hair just touched with
silver, and that it would be Heaven
upon earth to be permitted to copy
his manuscripts.
AS for Professor Nanderhoff, he
was not only Indifferent to, but Sc
renely oblivious of her too patent
devotion, and was a scoffer regarding
her love as well.
What was love in the abstract, the
silly emotion young men and women
professed to entertain for each other,
compared to love in the concrete, as
embodied in some statue of love to
which a sculptor had put the touch
of his genius thousand years be-
fore? The professor would scrape
the dirt off the unearthed marble
and gloat over 1T. but would not wipe
the dust from his glasses to see Eros
lowering close at hand.
The custodian of the Museum of
Art regarded him as fixture, for
when the closing hour came he was
rarely ready to go, but would pre-
sent Il card, which would be received
obsequiously with Certainly, sir,
when Prof. Vanderhoff would linger
until the setting sun shone in the
windows and tinted the marbles with
touch of rose that seemed to warm
them into a semblancc of life.
He noticed this vivifying effect at
the close of an afternoon, and paused
in his walk alongside the shelves of
small figures to look at the center
cases. He even dropped his precious
notebook in his surprise. Glow
strange!" he exclaimed. "Number
s3s might be head of flesh and
blood, there's almost a lifting of the
He stopped to pick up the book and
as he rose saw that the afterglow
had died away and the moon had
come up and was looking at him
with a most human face, SO very hui
man, in fact, that it gave him a ner-
vous start. It's mellow glow shone
through the windows and reached
out radiant fingers which touched
the marbles, investing them with an
lnreality of aspect. He could have
Eworn that one of the heads moved;
that he heard low whisperings. He
assured himself that his strange fam
cy was the result of too close appli-
tired; but Notwithstanding his rea-
soning, felt thrill of superstitious
fear which made his hand tremble
as he adjusted the rubber band
around his papers and prepared to
take one more look at the figure be-
fore going.
The marble was not in its place;
instead, his fascinated gaze saw,
clearly defined in the flood of MOON
light, a tall youth with the finely
cut features, grand brow and noble
head he had admired in the bust. The
youth remained standing for mo-
ment, long enough for the professor
TO see the look of alteration and
longing in his eyes, then, with state
? ]y step and outstretched arms, has
tened to meet and embrace beau
tiful girl who glided toward him
with radiant face. He held her close,
with rapturous kisses.
at has been so long," she muir
INJURED.
1.-TWO thousand years is not long
to wait for this" he answered Then
with his arm around her waist and
her head resting on his shoulder
they passed on, the silver rays Of
the moon lighting up his robes of
richest crimson and snowy white
and his companions draperies of
azure and gold making a beautiful
picture at which the professor looked
with dazed eyes.
"That was Number $50 with him."
he mused. "a madonna face that
has always seemed to me of the pas
sionless type" Then he took off his
glasses and rubbed them clear. "My
head is getting confused. OF course
saw nothing. 1T is just freak of
imagination. It is purely imaginary"