Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-06-08
The
Professors Egg
By HAROLD SINCLAIRE
,, 1921, Western Newspaper Union.

VI
mer bungalow, on the Maine shore.
His wife was washing the dinner
dishes.
ELLEN, my DEAR he said. Doctor
Cavendish of the Natural History
museum will be here this afternoon.
Can you get up a meal for him? He
has to start back tomorrow morn
ing"
Il suppose 50, Ferdinand" answered
his wife, little tartly.
Professor Brinckhofen engaged
rowboat and pulled round TO the rail
road terminal, where he arrived just
in time to greet Doctor Cavendish as
his visitor stepped out of his car.
well, what did you think OF my let
ter?" he asked, after the customary
greetings had been interchanged
Doctor Cavendsh took his friend
by the arm. MY dear old enthusiast"
he answered, TO be frank with you,
l am wholly skeptical. 1t
sounds too good to be true. If you
had told me that you had discovered
buried Indian village or dozen
asteroids l would have accepted your
word without question. But great
auk's egg-no, my friend. You have
probably mistaken the egg of
crested grebe or tufted putin for that
of the aux"
But the great aux did range as far
south as Maine in the last century"
cried the professor.
what does Mrs. Brinckhofen think
Of it?"
"She doesn't know anything about
it, of course. l don't believe In tell
ing my wife professional secret.
And the joke Of it iS"-he nudged
Cavendish in the ribs-"it's incubat-
ing with clutch of eggs that she set
out last week under one of our hens
1t couldn't be safer anywhere"
"Show me!' said Cavendish, skep-
tically.
They climbed the hill and entered
the little garden of the bungalow. In
one corner was the henhouse and, in
the center, seated upon clutch of
eggs surrounded with straw, was
| gray hen.
Professor Brinckhofen plunged his
hand into the clutch and drew out the
precious ,sg. 1t was little larger
| than that of a goose.
Good heavens, Brinckhofen. 1t is!
1t isl" yelled Doctor Cavendish, and,
carefully replacing it, he seized his
friend round the waist and the two
| graybeards executed dance
Mrs. Brinckhofen watched them out
| of the kitchen window.
She sat down and medltated upon
the subject until the men came in.
Then she welcomed Doctor Cavendish
with smiles.
Come, Cavendish, want to show
you my laboratory" said Brinckhofen,
dragging his friend away as soon as
he decently could. They went into
the professors little bare room and
began discussing the great discovery.
"Of course 1t goes to the museum,
Brinckhofen." said Cavendish. 1T will
be worth thousand dollars to you"
"A thousand dollars !" exclaimed the
professor. you are joking, Cavendish.
Why, the egg alone would bring that
at auction"
"Yes, yes. I'm speaking about the
egg" said Doctor Cavendish irritably.
what are you speaking about?"
"Why. the aux, Of course. Don't
you know that l put 1t there so that
1t would hatch? Why. Well have a
real live bird, Cavendish. l shall sell
1t to the Geological society. and I'll
patch up the egg after 1t has Matched
out, and I'll let you have that for
thousand. And the bird will lay more
eggs, and I'll get thousand apiece
for those too, and"
II say" interposed Cavendish, re
member it isn't Matched yet. If were
you l would tell Mrs. Brinckhofen
about it,"
TELL Mrs. Brinckhofen Why, she'd
tell the neghbors and they'd steal 1t
or do something to it! Never trust a
woman. No. it is safest just where it
is"
They argued with some lack of
equanimity until dinner time, when
Mrs. Brinckhofen elected them into
the dining room.
Hum! I'm hungry as bear" said
Doctor Cavendlsh, pulling his napkin
across his knees. What have we here?
Scrambled eggs? Fine!"
II don't know whether you like
scrambled goose eggs" said Mrs.
Brinckhofen. They say they're very
nice. found one under our biddy-it
must have been laid by one Of Mr..
Giles geese, for 1t wasn't there last
time looked. So l thought that as
we hadn't many eggs I'd try what it
tasted like"
"Woman" gasped the professor.
springing to his feet, do you mean to
say you-you scrambled that egg?"
"Yes. dear" said Mrs. Brinckhofen