The Disagreeable Woman. Alger Horatio Jr.

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СКАЧАТЬ will hear me," said Prof. Poppendorf, with dignity, "if you will kindly buy a ticket."

      Mrs. Wyman looked embarrassed. She had a fair income, but carried economy to a fine point.

      "Perhaps," she said, with a hesitating glance at the person of whom she spoke, "Miss Blagden will give me one of her tickets, as she does not intend to use either."

      "That wouldn't help the Professor," said Miss Blagden, quietly. "You had better buy one of him."

      The Professor evidently approved this suggestion.

      Mrs. Wyman reluctantly drew from her pocket forty-five cents in change, and tendered it to the Professor.

      "I will owe you a nickel," she said.

      "You can pay it any time, my dear lady," said the Professor, politely, as he passed a ticket to the widow.

      Nearly all at the table took tickets, but the young woman from Macy's was not of the number. The price was small, but she needed gloves, and could not spare even fifty cents.

      "Prof. Poppendorf," said a young man, who was attached as a reporter to one of the great morning dailies, "did I not hear you say once that you knew Bismarck?"

      "Ah! yes," said the Professor, "I was at the University with Bismarck."

      "How nice!" said Mrs. Wyman, with girlish enthusiasm. "It must have been a great privilege."

      "I don't know," said Prof. Poppendorf, deliberately. "Bismarck was not a great student. He would not study. Bismarck was wild."

      "Did he drink beer?" asked the widow.

      "Of course," answered the Professor, surprised; "why should he not? I drank beer myself."

      "Is it possible? I would not have believed it. Fie, Professor!"

      "Beer is a very good thing," said the Professor, gravely. "There were not many of the students who could drink as much as Bismarck."

      "And did Bismarck care for young ladies?"

      "I should think so. I had a duel with Bismarck myself about a young mädchen."

      More than one of the boarders smiled. It was so difficult to associate the gray old Professor with anything that savored of gallantry.

      "Oh, yes," he continued, "Bismarck was the devil among the girls."

      "Oh, Professor, I am shocked! You should not use such a word as devil at the table."

      "What, then, do you call him?" asked Prof. Poppendorf.

      "He is not mentioned in polite society. But tell us about the duel—were you wounded?"

      "You see that scar," said the Professor, pointing to a slight disfigurement of his left cheek. "That was given me by Bismarck."

      "Oh, how interesting! It is almost like seeing Bismarck himself."

      "Prof. Poppendorf," said the Disagreeable Woman, "why do you not lecture on Bismarck, instead of the dry subject you have announced?"

      "You admire Bismarck, then, my dear lady?"

      "Not at all."

      "But I don't understand."

      "The people are interested in him. They don't care for the 'Material and the Immaterial.'"

      "That is a good suggestion, Professor," said the widow. "I would much rather hear about Bismarck. I admire him. Why do you not, Miss Blagden?"

      "Because he was a second-hand autocrat," said the Disagreeable Woman.

      "Again I do not understand," said the Professor.

      "He was the servant of the Emperor. His authority did not come from the people."

      There was some further conversation, and Prof. Poppendorf promised that his next lecture should be upon Bismarck.

      CHAPTER IV.

      PROF. POPPENDORF'S LECTURE

      We all sat at supper on Thursday evening. There was a general air of expectation. It was on this evening that Prof. Poppendorf was to give his lecture. We all gazed at him with more than ordinary interest. The old Professor, gray and grim-visaged, sat more than usually erect, and his manner and bearing were marked by unusual dignity. He felt himself to be the hero of the hour.

      I have neglected to say that Mrs. Wyman had been transferred to the seat adjoining mine. As she could not do without masculine attention I suspect that this arrangement was prompted by herself. Henceforth I was favored with the greater part of her conversation.

      "I am quite looking forward to Prof. Poppendorf's lecture!" she said. "You are going, are you not?"

      "I think so, but I can't say I am looking forward to it. I fancy it will be dry and difficult to understand."

      "You think he is a learned man, do you not?"

      "Very probably—in certain directions."

      "Dr. Fenwick, I am going to ask a favor of you."

      "I hope it isn't money," thought I, "for I was beginning to have some anxiety about my steadily dwindling bank account."

      "Name it, Mrs. Wyman," I said, somewhat nervously.

      "I am almost ashamed to say it, but I don't like to go to the lecture alone. Would you mind giving me your escort?"

      "With pleasure," I answered.

      My answer was not quite truthful, for I had intended to ask the young woman from Macy's to accompany me. She was not intellectual, but she had a fresh, country face and complexion; she came from Pomfret, Connecticut, and was at least ten years younger than Mrs. Wyman. But what could I say? I had not the moral courage to refuse a lady.

      "Thank you very much. Now I shall look forward to the evening with pleasure."

      "You are complimentary. Do you expect to understand the lecture?"

      "I don't know. I never gave much thought to the 'Material and Immaterial.'"

      "Possibly we may understand as much about the subject as the Professor himself."

      "Oh, how severe you are! Now I have great faith in the Professor's learning."

      "He ought to be learned. He certainly has no physical beauty."

      Mrs. Wyman laughed.

      "I suppose few learned men are handsome," she said.

      "Then perhaps I may console myself for having so little learning. Do you think the same rule holds good with ladies?"

      "To a certain extent. I am sure the principal of the seminary I attended was frightfully plain; but I am sure she was learned. Prof. Poppendorf, have you sold many lecture tickets?"

      "Quite a few!" answered the Professor, vaguely.

      "Are you going to attend the lecture, Miss Blagden?" asked the СКАЧАТЬ