Charlevoix county herald., 1912-05-11
0@- 80
The Little Professor

By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

"Now, Miss Vance," the hint or an
eternal smile in his eyes. and which
was a part of the professor mingled
oddly with the gravity of his voice,
you and l are going to have good
talk" He seated her on the wide
couch and dropped into his big arm
chair. He looked steadily into her
great brooding eyes for moment
and said tenderly. "My nightingale's
eyes are shadowed, her song is
silenced and''-the little professor put
in his usual portion of the lighter
vein-"her features are extraordinary
lily beautiful"
A feeting smile spent itself quick
ly in Madness eyes. Then she looked
at him in mute appeal, but she re-
NAMED silent.
Come, tell your old teacher all
about it. You are fighting something
out in your own heart little girl
and 1t doesn't pay. Something Is
bound to give way"
AS the words give way" left his
| lips Nadine felt the click OF a key
open the door of her heart. She cast
quick glance at the professor and
slipped over and onto the wide arm
of his chair.
And because the little professor was
a strong man and of well-controlled
emotions he in no way showed sur
prise, but only looked at her with his
paternal smile in his eyes. He could
feel the vibrations from her slender
| body and wondered at the pent-up
struggle within her. He was not pre-
pared for the dry huskiness which
spoke of deep feeling when after
moment she found voice.
Call me childish, unstrung-any-
thing you like" She buried her head
in her arms on the back OF his chair
and drew a few spasmodic breaths.
But I'm not / have struggled and
! fought against this thing called love.
But it is obsession, tyrrany-a dom
ineering master. And / am utterly
weary trying to escape it,
Nadine glanced shyly up. Her eyes
were no longer brooding, but lumin-
Gus and wonderful. The little profes-
sor felt a subtle warmth stealing over
him. Unconsciously he drew in a
deeper breath of her fragrance. He
wondered, a trifle apprehensively. just
what the faint stirring within the
depths of his being might portend.
Madness voice continued in low
pitched, emotional cadence. She
dropped her head again on her arms
and spoke almost to herself. Per
haps If l unburden my thoughts to
you l may in a measure escape the
bondage if not the obsession. 1t may
be that in sharing my secret l may
gain back the power OF song, of laugh
| ter and win a few moments respite
from this unutterable longing, this
pent up love that is shadowing every
CLEAN of happiness in life"
She ceased speaking, but the little
, professor was looking with unseeing
eyes at the white hand that lay idle
on her lap; he had scarcely been
needing her words. for the realization
had stolen over him that something
big and desperately necessary to his
happiness was being dragged out of
his reach.
Suddenly. and with force un-
dreamed of. he turned and swept Ma
dine off the arm of his chair and into
his arms.
stop! Don't tell me anything more
about this love of yours cannot
stand it," The little professor was
trembling and his voice was even
more husky than Madness own. You
have breathed your low tones into my
ear and the scent of your hair in my
nostrils and now your heart is pound
| ing against my own-and when you
have Get my soul quivering with love
for you do you think / am going to
stand by and let you talk of love for
some other man? You can struggle
all you like, but / am going to hold
you for my OWE"
AS suddenly as he had taken heS
he let go his clasp. with a contrite
realization of what he had done.
Forgive me, Nadine; it all came
over me so suddenly-just how dear
you are to me-" The little professor
made brave attempt at his kindly.
paternal smile. Can you forgive me
now and leave me-"
But with a long-drawn sigh of con-
/ tentment Nadine crept back into his
arms and twined her arms about
him.
Whom did you think / loved?"
she asked him.