Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-05-31


When Miss Irene Jackson left Co.
lumlUs. O.. to pay a visit to her aunt
at Hastings, \. Y, her mother gave
her many warnings She was to look
out for collisions. she was TO beware
of open switches. She was to hold no
converse with either young or old
men. She was to hang on to her purse
She was to regard any woman who
might address her as an adventures.
All but one of these instructions were
carefully followed by the nineteen
year-old girl. She was somewhat sur
prised and good deal delighted to
find herself in New York city at last,
and she bravely followed the crowd on
to the ferryboat and landed at the foot
of Thirtyfourth street. There she took
a cab for the Grand Central depot. 1t
was only when she got out that she
found her purse was missing. She re-
membered that some one had crowded
her as she got off the ferryboat, but
that bit of news didn't affect the hack
man at all. He was a married man
with a family of seven, and he had to
| assist in supporting five different sa-
looms. so he wanted cash on the nail.
| There were tears, but they didn't move
him. He had often seen them at home
when he had reeled in on Saturday
night without a cent in his pocket
Miss Jackson couldn't pay the cab
man, and she couldn't buy a ticket to
Hastings and for ten minutes she felt
as helpless as a child. She was about
to give the cabman diamond ring as
security when young man of twenty
five stepped into the breach. He had
the long hair that some professional
men affect, and he had the rusty
clothes that other professional men af-
feet; but, as for his heart that appar-
emily was pure gold. He stepped for
ward, paid the cabman and told him
to be gone. The cabman smiled and
winked and drove away Then the
young man introduced himself as Pro.
fessor Nordenfelt of Columbia college,
professor of languages. He asked the
inestimable privilege of buying a ticket
to Hastings for the young lady. He
asked it because some one had rescued
his sister from just such a position in
Chicago few days before.
AS soon as the young man an
nounced that he was a professor Miss
| Jackson drew a long breath of relief
She had met but few professors in her
life. but she knew them to be all right
! Like sensible girl she leaned on this
one. She wasn't even surprised when
he said that he was on his way up to
! Irvington and would take charge of
her as far as Hastings. She might
have opened her eyes had she seen him
pay for both tickets out of her lost
purse, and she might have been most
unhappy had she known that he had
her diamond brooch in view, but as 1t
was she felt nothing but glad relief.
They sat together on the train. Miss
Jackson told the professor all about
Columbus, and he told her all about
Columbia. He spoke seven different
languages and was learning seven 9th
ers. The girl had always heard that
professors were profound. absent
minded and tactiturn, but she did not
find this one so. He had given her an
address so that she might return the
money he had loaned her.
When Hastings was reached, her
gratitude became profound. She in
sisted that he stop over one train and
allow her aunt to thank him. He
smiled in curious way, thought over
1t for a moment and then accepted the
invitation.
The aunt was no spring chicken, and
she was puzzled over the professor. At
first she set him down as a confidence
man, but his knowledge of Columbia
college and the seven languages upset
this theory His manners were good,
and his conversation confirmed his as
sertions. He was finally accepted, re-
paid the loan and invited to call again.
The police will never be able to salts
factorily explain to themselves why
Jimmy the Kid. as his photograph
in the rogues' gallery was labeled,
should have made second and a third
visit to the house on the Hudson. 1t
couldn't have been from a spirit of
bravado, for Jimmy was sly. He
couldn't have been hit" for he was
the one who had robbed the girl on the
ferryboat and was still making use of
| her money
For his second :. call Jimmy had
dressed up bit Il helped him in one
way and damaged him in another He
didn't look so lnsch like professor in
his better suit, but it did help his looks
as a caller. He was still interesting,
too, and an hour passed away. When
he had departed and the women had
criticised him favorably, the aunt said
/ to Irene:
"A professor Of languages must get a
big salary in a college,
Surely he must"
"He must be received in the best of
/ bociety."
"Of course"
And he is probably rich"
81 don't doubt It,"