The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10


 she did not answer Her eyes were open but there was no Speculation" in them. Then the Devil put an idea into the head of the professor-he would kiss one hand some young girl before he died and now was his chance. She never would know it and he would carry the remembrance of that kiss to his grave and rose, per- haps, grow out of his dust, as brier did out of Lord Lovell's, in memory of that immortal moment. There is one dis advantage which man of philosophical habits of mind suffers as compared with the man of action While he is taking an enlarged and rational view of the matter before him he lets his chance slip through his fingers. Iris woke of herself before the professor had made up his mind what he was going to do about it. She did not know what to make of it, finding herself there alone in such a guise and the pro- lessor staring at her She looked down at her white robe and bare feet and col ored-then at the goblet she held in her hand-then at the taper and at last her thoughts seemed to clear up. q know it all," she exclaimed; The is going to die andI must go and sit by him. Nobody will care for him as I shall and I have nobody else to care for
 The professor, speaking with authority as a medical man, assured her that what the Little Gentleman needed more than anything else just then was sleep, and her presence at that time could do only harm The patient probably would be better in the morning and she might then go to him. The young girl with noiseless step glided away to her chamber. When the professor visited his patient the next day he found Iris sitting beside the Little Gentlemans pillow. The women of the house were kind, as women in such eases always are, but Iris pretended that no one could spare the time as well as her self, and kept her post hour after hour until the landlady declared that shed be killin' herself if she begun at that rate and have to give up if she didn't want to be all beat out in less'n a week"
 They were graver than usual at the table after the Little Gentleman was taken so bad The high chair which he had used was set back against the wall, 
 neighbor on the right. But the next morning, greatly to the surprise of all the boarders, the young man from Mary land had quietly moved his chair to the vacant place. There was a sensation, of course, among the boarders, but the young man, having made this long and perilous leap from the northeast corner of the table, seemed utterly unconscious of having done anything out of the usual, and Iris seemed scarcely to notice the fact that she had new neighbor at the table
 She never for moment seemed to for get the little friend who had been taken from her side. They could not accuse her of ficlleness, and even the most spiteful and malevolent among the boarders ad- mitted that they made pretty pair as the youth and maiden sat there side by side There are women and girls with whom it is of no use to talk-one might as well reason with bee as to the shape of his cell or with an oriole con corning the form of his swinging nest as to stir these creatures from their own way of doing their own work. Thus t was with Iris She did not stop to con slider whether she had any right by cir cumstances, relationship or special adap- ability for the work to act as nurse for the Little Gentleman-she simply took that task upon her and that settled it.
 When Iris came down to her meals and sat beside the black-haired young Mary lander the professor watched them closely and -cogitated. He thought there was a kindly feeling growing up between them that that affinity which had drawn the youth from the remote corner of the table was quietly bringing their natures togeth- er Just now" thought he, ''she is all given up to another. But when he no longer calls upon her daily thoughts and