Mrs. Wyman colored, and looked annoyed. She evidently did not care to continue her conversation with the Disagreeable Woman. "Professor Poppendorf," she said, "will you allow me to suggest something which will enable you to sell a good many tickets?" "I should be very glad to hear," said the Professor, eagerly. "Get Chauncey M. Depew to preside, and introduce you to the audience." "I did ask him, but he could not come. He is engaged to preside at a dinner given to the Yale Football Team." "Does Mr. Depew kick football?" asked the young woman from Macy's. "I think not," I ventured to say. "Gentlemen over forty seldom indulge in athletics." "I am so sorry you can't get Mr. Depew," said Mrs. Wyman. "I should so like to hear him." "You 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.