Show F The I s Daily I I The Professors Professor's ors or's Shirt By FRANCES FRANCES LAW Copyright 1916 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate The professor stopped as he was passing the tho little house next door for there on the swing sat Miss Martha crocheting A little warm for so early In the year he remarked pleasantly It seemed that although these two had been neighbors for tor years they never got pot past the conventional subject of the weather or how much better the lilacs were doing this year than last Martha dropped the filmy bundle into her lap not losing her hold on the thread It certainly Is is she agreed just awful I guess you you'll 11 be glad when schools school's over assented as he Ire Indeed I shall he turned into the walk next door lIe Ho h and had was quite up on his own por porch his hand on the screen door before Martha had ha the courage to ask since How are you getting along Mrs Gold went away Pretty well Her niece Is here hero to look after me inc until she returns Does she sho he cook coole Yes she cooks Well if I can do anything for tor you I wish vish you'd let me mo know Id I'd be very glad to help Thank you I shall smiled the professor professor pro pro- door was fessor lessor and in m an instant the shut behind him My but I wish I had his Iris teeth when ho he smiles sighed Martha and not realizing that her words weren't t exactly what sho she meant at all she minute idle but her thoughts sat a busier than her hands were creature that's keeping shiftless a its it's the I suppose house for him now J best he could coul l do though Men are helpless things completely at the such of women I tell you 1 Id I'd d hate hata mercy of that one that's to be at the mercy there now You Just ought to see seethe seethe seethe in iii the color of ot that washing she sIre hung out this morning And if the poor man isn't dead of dyspepsia in a week dear it wont won't bo be her fault for theair's the theair's all aU the tho time airs air's full tull of fried tried grease I guess Id Jd better get a cup of Well Vell of tea tea I do believe hed he'd like a piece that nut bread of mine Ill I'll take over overa of It a 1 plate So rolling railing up the work she sho went back Into the kitchen Then before thinking of her own lunch she fixed the professors professor's tr treat at covered it up with a napkin and took it over the Tire The clothesline was di directly directly di- di back way across her path and she had to dodge various articles of wearing ap apparel apparel apparel ap- ap parel as she went Sud Suddenly enly her sharp eyes made a n a hole right in the tire breast discovery discovery-a professors professor's fine white of one of ot the tho housekeeper had irad complained complained com corn The shirts about his time to bet her at one propensity for spilling acids upon and what a the in himself his iris mending HandIng Hand Hand- time she sire had with lX to the tire girl at the door lag Ing the Plate herself And it will willbe willbo win wina she thought to ir before you'll mend any anyone anyone anyone bo be tow long day a else's elsos clothes milady with your our one for want own fairly dropping off ott you of l ReturnIng a A few her S eyes again sought the shirt with the tire gap In the tho front as large as a butter plate It would bo ho Just r like him to put that one on for fer church next Sunday too Men are so queer I wish I had his mending to do all aU the time That shirt he ho had on today had hada a patch on the front and the lavender stripes weren't even matched and that housekeeper r had put it in with a machine machine machine ma ma- chine too Martha ate her lunch and the professor professor pro pro- fessor went back to school The street quieted down and Martha prepared for fora a nap Then remembering a waist that was minus a button she got out outher outher outher her sowing sewing basket Then It just happened that she looked out of the window in itt time to see the girl in the next house lock the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and go out Instantly her thoughts reverted to the tho shirt Tire The clothes though dry were still on the tire line and here was she sire with thread and needle all ready No second thought was necessary Sheran Sheran She Sho Shoran ran down stairs through the kitchen door around the tIre lilac bush and had the shirt in her arms anns in no time Then Indoors again with her precious burden burden burden bur bur- den Hell not disgrace himself In church if I can help it it sho she panted I believe I have some fine linen that will Just match So she patched the shirt with stitches so BO fine and so neat that it would take sharp eyes indeed to detect the substitution But who was that just turning the i corner The professor himself coming I home early In a panic she picked up her mending mending- and tore downstairs to the yard She m managed to get the clothespins clothespins clothespins clothes clothes- pins back to place although her fingers trembled dreadfully and she was shaking with fright What Wl-at If he would see her But he didn't for she got round the bush and into the house Juslin justI just justin in time I Then She went upstairs upstairs and and found I the tire professors professor's shirt lying on her bed bedl I Her eyes widened with horror What had she done Weakly she sho got to the tha back room window and there swingIng swing Ing in In tho the lazy afternoon breeze was washer washer washer her waist on the professors professor's clothesline clothes clothes- clothesline line Sho She almost fainted with dismay for Just as she decided to go boldly out and get her belongings trusting to luck to hide her vandalism her neighbor appeared at tho the kitchen door and ad sauntered out with a magazine magazine mag rang azine to a lawn swing under a cherry cherrytree cherrytree cherrytree tree not ten feet away from the tho line There was nothing to do but wait watt And waiting only brought Increased dismay for tor the maid returned and gathered in the clothes with her waist among them Several courses courBes of action su suggested themselves to her She might lay tho the I shirt under the bush when night came they would find it In tho the morning and I think it had blown off the tho line But that would not account for her shirtwaist shirt shirtwaist shirtwaist waist In the tho basket next door S Everything sho she thought of seemed for tor the girl would beaure be bo sure aure to talk and tell her friends all allaround allaround allaround around the tho neighborhoodS neighborhood And when Mrs Gold returned she would recognize recognize nize aim the tho waist and wonder what it was doing there Marthas Martha's mortification tion Uon was torturing her beyond endur endur- ance Get the waist she must must someway So that evening when the dishes were done and the street street was sitting out in front she ehe saw the professor go out with some books under his arm ann and later Hattie Hattle in flaunting pink departed de departed departed de- de parted with a beau for a movie moyie The house next door was dark and deserted de deserted do- do So far so good But even if the tIre back door bad been left un unlocked unlocked unlocked un- un locked which she was sure It had not her courage refused to ascend to the point of execution But finally she roused herself with I an effort and tiptoed across the back lawns to the other house She tried the door softly Locked She knew It would be But a window opened on to the porch and nothing stood between her and the coveted Interior but a rickety screen She Sho pushed and it gave Tho The sill was low and she was soon Inside the black kitchen groping for tor the laundry basket II Then her hand touched It Thank heaven and right on top was her waist I She could tell it by the lace collar sire she had made herself The shirt was quickly QUICk QUICk-I quick quick- ly substituted for It and she sire was re retreating retreating retreating re- re treating toward the dim rectangle of I Ithe the window when a light was switched on suddenly and the tire professor stood In the dining room door I Martha looked at him an Instant with wide open eyes and then promptly and quietly fainted She revived almost immediately and saw the tho agitated professor bending I over her Then with a fresh realization realization I tion of ot what had happened she shuddered shuddered dered dared and closed her eyes again She 1 wanted to die But he had one of her I hands In his and didn't let go As she comprehended that fact her cheeks went from a deathly white to vivid red and then the tears started If only she sho could get away Things were happening too fast for tor her to understand understand under under- stand She tried to stand up and he helped her to her feet But Instead of letting the tho hand go hp he took possession ot of 01 the other one Martha how you frightened frig me dear dearl he said I 1 thought you were dead I thought I had lost you With albeit perplexed little sigh sh she sh attempted no defense |