“Goodness!” exclaimed Mina. “Is Professor Skillings going with them again? He is so odd.”
“He’s very absent-minded,” said Bessie.
Frank began to laugh again. “Say!” she began, “did you hear about what happened to him last week? Father met him coming down Lane Street–you know, it’s narrow and the sidewalk in places is scarcely wide enough for two people to pass comfortably.
“There was poor Professor Skillings hobbling along with one foot continually in the gutter, his eyes fixed on a book he was reading as he walked. Father said to him:
“‘Good morning, Professor! How are you feeling to-day?’
“‘Why–why–why!’ exclaimed the professor–you know his funny way of speaking. ‘Why–why–why–I was very well when I started out, I thought. But I don’t know what’s come over me. Do you know, I’ve developed a pronounced limp since leaving the house!’”
“Well, the boys like him,” Wyn said, when the girls’ laughter had subsided.
“I thought I saw Dave Shepard and that ‘Tubby’ Blaisdell around here when I hurried down from school to light the fire,” remarked Grace.
At that moment a strange, scraping sound was heard right above the girls’ heads. Bess and Mina jumped up.
“What’s that?” cried Grace.