The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-02-11

"Prof. McVint regrets that, owing 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 in
one mass to class room No. 20 on the
morning of June 8, some two or three
years ago.
''Hellol what's the meaning of this?"
said Pennington. 'The old fellow was
here as late at 10 o'clock last night,
for was with him at the science pic
mic yesterday, and it was after 10 by
the time we got back. He's gone OFF
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
or to pop the question" added a 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, and
eyes that we're 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 so, 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 80.
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
he 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. 81
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 un-
blushingly in the face.
81 wonder what 1t can be-" said Eva
Uller to her friend Jemima Bates, as
hey turned slowly from the class room
door and walked away down the cor
ridor. Poor man, am afraid there is
something wrong; and he has no one
to look after him or do things for him.
II seems very lonely life."
"Oh, he is perfectly happy in his
work." replied Jemima; "he doesn't
want any one to look after him." Jem-
ima judged all men land women) by
her own feelings, which is 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 O
very great concern of hers she would
have given the matter a little more
thought.
The previous day, as young Penning-
bon had said, had been the science pic
mic. Much to the surprise of everybody
the professor finally accepted his invit-
ation--though he wrote first of all de-
clining. A perusal of the list of in
yited ''arts" was the cause of his
change of mind. The fact was Prof
McVint was in love-it had taken some
time to convince him of the fact, and
he had argued 1t out pro and con with
himself in every imaginable way. But
from the. conclusion he could not es.
cape; whatever his premises, the de-
ductiyn 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, ther,
would creep the surreptitious thought
''What will she think of this? How
will she take that?" Then he foun,
himself thanking Providence that b,
Ats kindly ordering the lady student
sat in the front row during lectures
and. therefore. mere within range O
his somewhat limited vision. The mex
thing that he was conscious of was tha
he was hunting high and low In hi
room for a pair of glasses far stronge
than those he generally used and NO
at all necessary for mere reading pur
poses. Two or three times he lost hi
place in his notes and stood confuse
and put to shame before the class.
thing that had never happened beror
IN all his experience. Finally he cam
% tho conclusion that the tie whic
~ had been wearing when the senio
student was freshman. and which b
~ voru ever since. WAS . little th