The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-13

his absence from town, MS lecture on
The Aspirate In Greek is unayoidably
postponed"
This was the notice that greeted the
crowd Of students as they surged in
one mass to class room No. 20 on the
morning Of June s, some two or three
years ago.
Hello! what's the meaning OF this?'
said Pennington. THE old fellow was
here as late at 10 o'clock last night,
for l was with him at the science pic
mic yesterday, and it was after 10 by
the time we got back. He's gone OIL
mighty quick"
Perhaps he hadn't time to get his
lecture ready" suggested one.
More likely his mother is 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 a decided stoop, and
eyes that were screwed UP almost to
vanishing point, he was hardly the
parsonage with whom to associate any
idea of the tender passion. His age,
too, was against him, though no one
knew exactly what that age was. II
you saw him walking home from col
lege along the esplanade you put him
down at 90, 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 humor was not appreciated
1T very often bit too deeply into the
feelings of his victim to be pleasant,
and all who came beneath the lash OF
his tongue bore him no small grudge
for what he made them suffer. Then
ne lived absolutely apart from college
life, not even mixing with the other
members Of the staff. Consequently 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
found on his arrival at college that
his class room had been burned out in
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, therefore,
that there was no small stir when this
historic notice stared the world I'M
blushingly in the face.
Il 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 cor
ridor. Poor man, l am afraid there is
something wrong; and he has no one
to look after him or do things for him
1t seems a very lonely life"
ooh, he is perfectly happy in his
work." replied Jemima; che doesn't
want any one to look after him" Jem-
ina judged all men land women) by
her own feelings which is a danger
GUS thing to do.
81 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 q
very great concern of hers she would
have given the matter little more
thought.
The previous day, as young Penning
ton had said, had been the science pic
mic Much to the surprise of everybody
the professor finally accepted his inyit
ation-though he wrote first of all de
clining A perusal of the list Of in
vited "arts" rs the cause of hi,
change of mind. The fact was Prof
McVint was in love-it had taken somt
time to convince him of the fact, ant
he had argued it out pro and con will
himself in every imaginable way. Blu
from the conclusion he could not es
cape; whatever his premises, the de
\ duction invariably came out: There
fore, love her"
He began to notice it first in thi
way: Into his mind as he was busy il
the preparation Of his lectures, Their
would creep the surreptitious thought
'What will she think of this? HOY
will she take that?" Then he foun
himself thanking Providence that b.
its kindly ordering the lady student
sat in the front row during lectures
and, therefore, more within range c
his somewhat limited vision. The mex