The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-08-25
HIS ASSISTANT
A Story Of Professor
And a Girl Graduate
By BERTHA D. ALSOP
COpyright 1910 by American Press
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

Professor Erskine was very ole
young man. He was thirty-two and
looked ten or fifteen years older
What can you expect" said one OF
the young women students, referring
to his antique appearance, ''of a man
whose sole diet is Greek roots?"
Luella Greenfield led her class from
start to finish and took every prize she
competed for. She was a great favor.
lite with Professor Erskine, who the
day after her graduation said to her:
Your career must not be that of wo.
men who are tied down to the care OF
children. Choose rather to devote
yourself to intellectual pursuits. can
give you fine opportunity for be-
ginning. | am writing a history of
the barbarian kings who changed the
influence of Rome in European civil
cation during the fourth and fifth Gen.
turtles. l need an assistant to aid me
in my researches. Will you join me?'
"And give up all thoughts of home
life with dear little children to COM
fort me when 1 am old?"
"You will be interested in your work,
a far nobler duty than mending chill
dren's clothes and washing their dirty
faces
Luella, whether or no she was con-
WINGED. was at last induced to accept
the professors invitation. She dived
into books on the GOths, while the pro-
lessor bored into the past of the Huns.
He found her extremely useful. In
deed. he soon learned that it would
have been next to impossible to get
on without her. She worked so hard
that at the end of few months she
needed rest and went away from
him. Professor Erskine was not sur
prised that he found his work very diff
ficult without her, but be was sur
prised that during her absence he had
no heart in his work. Genseric, Alaric,
Att1la, all the barbarian kings, ceased
suddenly to interest him. The libra
ries in which he delved had become
musty. In his study there were Luel-
las chair and desk. but without Luella
the room was unbearable. Instead of
working he went out and walked back
and forth on the campus.
There's old Erskine," said a coed
on her way to lecture, stalking back
and forth as if moonstruck. He's
been doing that ever since Luella
Greenfield went away. wonder If
he's dreaming of the barbarian kings
or of her"
HE persuaded her," said another,
ito devote her life to wormy books.
He certainly wouldn't permit himself
to think about her except as a means
to dig up the past Of the people he
writes about"
One day letter came to the profess
sor from his assistant stating that he
must get some one to take her place.
In order to fit herself physically for
the plans he had laid down for her in
an intellectual field she needed a year
OF out Of door life.
The professors heart fell like ba-
rometer before sudden storm. The
Goths. the Visigoths. the Huns, were
forgotten in the depth of his despair
at being condemned to work without
Luella. AS to having any one else sit
ting at her desk. the thought was un-
bearable.
The next morning the college bulle-
tin announced that Professor Erskine,
having been suddenly called away,
would not lecture that day A male
student, reading the notice. remarked:
"Good! | can practice pitching all
day. I'll bet he's got on to headless
Jupiter and gone to buy it for the mu-
scum" A girl student followed and,
with her seX's keener intuition. said:
AH'm! Gone after Luella Greenfield.
knew she'd get him.
81 have GOMEZ said the professor
to his assistant, ito learn il it is abb
essential that you should give
up your work for so long period"
80 my physician advises me-that