The Borthwick Theory
By E. C.
Professor John Borthwick closed I
fcls front door at 9.14 a. m., one mo
ment ahead of scheduled time. This
enabled him to collect a scrap of
paper from his lawn and inter it de
cently in a bed of variegated loves
fallen from tho maples bordering the
roadway. The sharp October breeze
exhumed it almost before his back
was turned, and his housekeeper,
watching from an upper window, ob
served tha'. men with a vast amount
of brain showed an extraordinary
.want of common sense.
Professor Borthwick with the al
phabet transposed after his name
walked to the end of the block and
turned the corner that brought the
buildings of the Canadian Geologltal
Burvey into view. For a generation
past he had been one of the depart
ment's shining lights; over and above
11, he was the Borthwick Theory.
It was impossible, ,in scientific cir
cles, to discuss the pre-glacial period
Jn Polar regions without reference to
the Borthwick Theory. It permeated
the calculations of two decades of
geologists as inevitably as the knowl
edge that certain fossils were char
acteristic of certain horizons. The
world over tho Theory was discussed
and quoted, argued and dissented
from. Of course, there was dissen
sion the vpry magnitude of the
theme courted criticism from its bear
ing upon vast economic possibilities
In the Northwest provinces, as yet
but partially explored. Not that Pro
fessor Borthwick concerned himself
Intimately with economic questions;
his lnt5rests were centred in the
course of events before Man was.
His critics, also the possessors of
cometli.te alphabetical tails, were the
members of other surveys; they dis
puted the Borthwick Theory in the
academic journals, and fenced Pro
fessor Borthwick at international,
cong-osses.
Meanwhile, the scientific world, ap
proving and dissentient, waited com
placently; men to whom a thousand
years were as a day, geologically
speaking, expected to wait; even the
optimists scarcely supposed that Pro
fessor Borthwick would have the luck
to personally establish bis claim to
posterity.
The Theory had its origin in a
handful of obscure fossils collected
by the professor in early manhood,
when field instructions had taken
him, one of a band of pioneers, into
unexplored r.rions ordering upon
tha Arctic.
Years passed, and each season
found him pursuing his investigations
with patient, unswerving energy;
those untrodden lands became divi
sions, the divisions districts; widea
wake prospectors began to follow in
the Geologlcal's Survey's footsteps;
Professor Borthwick continued to col
let fossils In summer and determine
' tnem in winter, anC slowly but sure
ly his researches strengthened his
convictions.
Borthwick on Northwesten geology
attained importance in the eyes of
uepartment, his views passed, in
process of time, to wider acceptance
as Dr. Borthwlck's Theories, and
finally, attained impressf -e, singular
and international significance as the
Borthwick Theory.
The Professor aged with the
Theory; younger men went into the
field, able where he was now un
able i' withstand the hardships en
' tailed; he remained in his labora
tory, and cn the evidences of their re
searches continued to deduce and es
tablish the Theory, link by link.
Tear by year he hoped for the con
clusive results that would blazen it
on time's records as incontrovertible
fact.
Thus, the autumn was a season of
paramount importance to him, since
It heralded the return of the field
staff and the posiib.llty that the
Northwest had yielded the clews he
needed.
A sharp gust of wind swirled his,
coat tails; the Professor folded the
garment closer without annoyance; a
touch of frost in the air, and clear
sunshine Induced a physical sense of
wellbeing that demanded analysis,
together with the opposite deduction
that it was possible to feel otherwise.
He paused on the steps of the Sur
rey with a dawning senre of misgiv
ing. Suppose that, In place of con
firmatory evidence, the season's work
served to weaken the foundations of
the Theory, or-in any way suggested
the possibility of his critics being
right and he wrong. Even in the
home survey there were men who
d".;bted yonths of thirty-five and
forty who based their arguments on
experience that, compared with Pro
fessor Borthwlck's, was insignificant
Some of them had theories of their
own, and toward these he exercised
the courtesy and tolerance becoming
In a man who had forgotten more
than they ever knew. For the
Theory, so far as It went, was cir
cumstantially proved even as the
ory it. was a laurel that had credi
tably adorned his lifetime and would
undoubtedly be utilized on lis bust.
A side door into the building
opened to exude a couple. of empty
crates, indication, therefore, that the
fossils and mineral specimens col
lected in the past season were un
packed and awaiting identification.
The Professor's autumnal elation
reasserted Itself, hie forebodings van
ished; entering the burvey, he said
.good-morning to the Janitor In a tone
DAWSON.
that caused the official to note
thoughtfully that he mounted the
stairs to the next floor taking two at
a time.
He remonbered that same buoy
ancy In the Professor when the pa
triarchal beard had been brown, and,
coupled with baldness and compara
tive youth, sufficiently incongruous
to suggest the possibility of hair re
storer applied absent mlndedly to
the wrong. place.
A spirit of bustle and rejuvenation
pervaded the Survey; the field par
ties were assembling day by day from
all quarters, and exchanging speci
mens r.nd experiences.
In a -orrldor Professor Uorthwick
happened upon a man freBh from the
centre to him of vital interest.
They paused for an iutsrehange of
greetings. The Professor was popu
lar with the younger generation fol
lowing his footsteps in the North
west; Its solitudes bore everlasting
witness of hlra and of their esteem,
even though the Theory should pass,
in a Borthwick mountain, a Borth
wick river, and lakes to match.
"A successful season, I hope, Till
man?" said the Professor punctilious
ly, but with an undernote of eager
ness in his voice that was unmistak
able. "Tha"s lor you to decide, Profes
sor," the younger man replied.
"There's a crateful of specimens wait
ing for you, Borne of them new, I
think. We followed up the west
fork of the Borthwick and explored
one of the unknown tributaries. A
wonderful country, but the difficul
ties "
"No doubt, no doubt," interrupted
the Professor gently; transport prob
lems were mere details, and he ant
ed facts. "Come to my room when
you have a moment to spare," he
pursued. "I should be glad to note
wn everything likely to bo of ser
vice in my researches."
He proceeded down the corridor
and reached the door labelled with
his name.
His stenographer, Miss Dickson,
was seated at her desk, studying the
Btock and share column of the morn
ing paper.
"Good morning," said the Profes
sor, with the same jubilance he had
evinced toward tha janitor. "What
a delightful day!"
"Good morning," said Miss Dick
son, without looking up. She never
encouraged the Professor to be en
thusiastic at 9.30 a. m.; it involved
working through the luncheon hour
without a break, which was bad for
both of them.
"A delightful morning," pursued
the Professor, unchllled. When not
conversing academically he tried to
be conventional, and became com
monplace. "I believe the market is
going up," he added, after a pause
and a flash of inspiration.
"Down," replied Miss Dickson,
pursuing the damping process.
She dabbled mildly in shares, and
the Professor heard of her ventures
with the puzzled Interest that a man
with a banking account and no use
for money would naturally evince to
ward a woman with gambling pro
pensities and a salary.
Next to the Theory, Miss Dickson
was an indispensable adjunct to the
Professor's welfare. Every New
Year's Eve a check, for the purchase
of additional shares, lay on her desk,
presented "with the gratitude and esr
teem of J. Borthwick."
She was a little, energetic woman,
agreeable, well educated, well read;
ten years as the Professor's secre
tary had grounded her so effectually
In the Theory and all pertaining to
it that she had become a source of
reference on the subject, consulted
by the Professor and the geological
staff, indiscriminately. A kindly na
ture enhanced her mental attain
ments, toupled with an assured man
ner. She was self-sacrificing and
self-assertive as occasion demanded,
championed her chief in public, and
bullied him in private as one who
knew his weaknesses and corrected
his spelling.
He turned to his desk and the
morning's corespondence. Miss Dick
son laid aside her paper.
"The new batch of fossils came in
this morning," she said. "I had them
arranged in the sampling room."
."I met Tillman as I came in," the
Professor replied; "from what he
said it's just possible they have hap
pened upon something ,new."
He reverted to his letters. "Noth
ing of importance ah, yes, unfortu
nately a reminder from the Editor
of 'The Scientific Journal' about the
contribution I promised. He shall
have that note on a Fossil Fish Tooth
from the Devonian when it's fin
ished, only" he referred again to
the letter and glances toward the
sampling room door regretfully
"he wants it at once."
"And ydu want to get to the fos
sils, so 'The Journal' must wait,"
suggested Miss Dickson, conniving
with the Professor's inclination
against his conscience.
"A promise," began the Professor
pedantically, drifting toward a bu
reau. From a drawer containing manu
script be extracted the Fossil Fish
Tooth sheets. Miss Dickson took
them from him compassionately.
"I'll leok through it and see what
alteration is needed your attention
would be so divided," she said.
The Professor bore the Imputation
with meekness and made a bee line
for the sampling room.
"Be sure you come to me it there
is anything unnecessary or unintelli
gible, In your opinion," he panned to
add from the threshold to propiti
ate Miss Dickson and palliate the
Bense of wrongdoing.
Miss Dickson nodded and smiled;
the Professor, artful and conscience
stricken, was genuinely humorous.
Left in solitude, she commenced
work on the Note; it covered 'several
pages, closely typewritten, and even
to her scientifically adjusted mind be
came a trifle tedious. She turned,
for diversion, to the Professor's cor
respondence and prepared the replies
for his signature.
Midday struck; the janitor
knocked at the door with a telephonic
dinner invitation for the Professor.
"Ask for the number and say the
Professor will ring up later," replied
Miss Dickson. "He is busy with
some fossils, and I can't disturb him."
It was her custom to waive matters
of minor importance without refer
ence to him, an authority the Pro
fessor never resented.
In the next hour various individ
uals dropped in for conversation with
the Professor, and stayed to enjoy it
with Miss Dickson. It was past the
luncheon hour when the laBt depart
ed, and tho Professor was still clos
eted in the sampling room. Miss
Dickson decided to give him another
half hour, and reverted, hungry but
patient, to the Fossil Fish Tooth. At
the end of the period she knocked at
the door and entered.
"Time you went to lunch, Profes
sor," she said.
He was seated with his back to
ward her, before a table littered with
rock specimens, his head sunk be
tween his shoulders, his elbows rest
ing on the table.
It struck her, for the first time,
that he looked very old and shriv
elled and fragile; the reaction, possi
bly, from his earlier elation. She
approached softly, to avoid Btartllng
him.
He seemed unconslcous of her
presence; his eyes were glued to a
magnifying glass beneath which lay
a fragment of limestone containing
fossils.
"It is past 2 o'clock time you
went to luncheon, Professor," she re
peated. He made no reply, nor even the
slightest movement. She waited a
moment longer, and with a woman's
Intuition divined that something was
wrong.
"What if it, Professor?" she ex
claimed. He turned his head slowly and
stared at her with a sort of mute de
fiance. "Professor, there's something
wrong! Tell me what it is," she said
sharply.
He pointed at the specimens be
fore him and tried to speak, and with
the several languages at his command
could find no word to express himself.
He raised his eyes to hers, shame
facedly; a suspicion of the truth
flashed upon her he read It In her
eyes and flung the magnifier from
him with a gesture of despair.
"All dis proved," he said, fal
tering from syllable to syllable, and
sank back in the chair, a withered,
decrepit, old, old man.
"Nonsense! Not the Theory?"
she retorted, struggling with over
whelming conviction of the truth and
the utter futility of fighting against
it.
A kneck came at the outer door.
It galvanized the poor, broken old
man into active misery.
"A laughing stock! A doddering
old idiot. Good God!" he said.
Miss Dickson answered the knock.
Instantaneously, stepped into the
passage and closed the door behind
her.
"The Professor is busy, extremely
busy; for goodness' sake leave him in
peace," she said with irritation to
the intruder. "Oh, it's you, Mr. Till
man; I beg your pardon will you
come back presently I mean to-morrow?
Professor Borthwick promised
an article for the next number of
'The SciSntiflc Journal,' and we must
get it off to-day, somehow."
Tillman departed, 'after a chaffing
reference to the business methods o'f
academic cranks. In his wake fol
lowed the janitor with another mes
sage. "Look here, Symes," said Miss
Dickson decisively, "tell every one
who wants the professor in or out
of the building that he's too busy
to be interrupted to-day on any ac
count. I'm sick of repeating the
same thing."
The janitor shuffled away; Miss
Dickson re-entered the study and
paused for a moment's reflection.
Before returning to the Professor she
slipped on her hat and coat.
He sighed with relief at her entry;
his misery became a shade less acute
in her presence; she seemed, tempor
arily, to stand between him and ex
posure. Then he noted with deeper
despair that she .had donned walking
attrre.
She came to the table and scrutin
ized the specimens lying before bim.
Next she turned to a cabinet filled
with rock sections labelled "Borth
wick River Series," and picked 'out
several fragments from a miscella
neous heap, resembling in shape and
size those that lay on the table.
The Professor watched her with
apathetic curiosity; she came beside
him and- picked up the tell-tale llme
Btohe near the magnifier, and dropped
the pieces one by one into the capa
cious pockets of her coat.
"The river," she said quietly, and
aranged the specimens from the cabi
net in the space beside the glass.
"No, no!" he xclalmed.
She drew on her gloves witfc determination.
They will never be missed," she
said.
He remembered with terrible joy
that she had always had her own
way. She was having It now, and he
sat there unprotestlng.
"Now, I'm going to leck you In for
a few minutes, Professor," she re
sumed. "You've overdone things to
day, and you're too busy to Bee peo
ple." The door handle clicked, and the
key turned on the outside. Inevi
table reaction succeeded the tension
of the last few moments; a shiver
ran through the distraught old mau
his head swam, a tightness at his
throat and chest turned him sick and
clammy, his head dropped limply on
his hands.
"I'm dying for luncheon and a
mouthful of fresh air," said Miss
Dickson to the janitor, in passing.
"I won't be gone long, but don't for
get my instructions about the Pro
fessor." She took the air from the bridge
spanning the river, pitching stones
into midstream with vigorous accur
acy. Thus the Borthwick Theory re
mained unrefuted for a season, at all
events, and possibly for an indefin
able period. But she sav in per
spective a vista of weary days Bhe
and the Professor enacting the pre
tence of the Theory; Bhe could do it,
but he, with his abstruse intellect
and elemental simplicity, was like a
child there was childish, helpless
abandonment in his grief, but where
the child's misery is short lived, his
would endure till the sods in the
Northwest hi'.d teen opened to . re
ceive Professor Borthwick, as pro
vided for in his will.
He was old, and it was a terrible
shock. Miss Dickson found herself
wondering, conscience-stricken, how
long it would be.
She hastened back to the Survey
and the Professor. He had not
stirred from his seat, and made no
sign when she laid her band' on the
arm of the chair.
"Professor!" she said, softly.
He did not reply; she scarcely ex
pected that he would, and Btood for
a moment Irresolute, reluctant to
rouse him. Ills watch lying on the
table ticked out the seconds; she
counted them mechanically. No other
Bound broke the stillness, not even
the Professor's breathing she held
her own to listen.
Another moment passed, and she
dropped on her knees beside the
chair.
"Professor!" she cried, and her
fingers closed on his wrist. "Oh,
Professor!"
She dragged his hands from his
face and his head dropped sideways,
limp and unBlghtly. She shrank
away horror-struck and reached to
the bell.
A rumor niBhed through the build
ing that old Borthwick was in a stu
por; later, the news spread that he
was dead.
Miss Dickson was blamed for the
folly of letting an old man remain
for so many hours without interrup
tion and without food.
"Heart, I'll be bound," said the
janitor. "It's what you'd expect
when a man of his age tries to climb
the stairs two at a time."
"Heart, I am sure," said Miss
Dickson, with nervous conviction.
The Sketch.
worms of wisdom.
He IS pot eloquent whose words do
not change acts.
Complacency is often complacently
mistaken for consecration.
A little laughter lengthens all our
lives and shortens every day.
There is no outer radiance from
the life that has no inner light.
Deep in the dark alley we often
find the foot of the golden ladder.
The worst of all liars may be able
to make the best analysis of truth.
The honorable man will always
honor the things that are honorable.
The emerged tithe will do a lot to
solve the problem of the submerged
tenth. .
Many women forget that it takM
more than a perfect house to make a
home.
The social for revenue only doei
not promote the righteousness of the
church.
Every weed that comes to fruitage
Is to remind us that good seed is uof
barren.
The religion that can be confined
to place and season is never in place
or in season.
The virtues with which we are op
pressed are not Impressing others in
the same way.
You cannot eliminate selfishness by
legislation, but you can sometimes
check its speed.
This world is being saved by the
love that could die, and not by any
theory about it.
Some men think they save the
leaking ship by hauling a new Sag
to the masthead.
He who has walked life's way in
truth always sees the promise
through the gates of death.
They become blind to the spiritual
who will not blind themselves to
some of the things of sense.
The Love that Is ever within ue
gives us greater comfort than even
the hope of the life beyond.
A rubber-tired vice is likely to
take just as straight a course and
make even better time to the pit than
the old rattle-rim kind. Ram'i
Horn.
More than 5000 Russian Jews em
igrated to Palestine In one moath.
New York City. The round vnlrn
waist Is always a pretty one. It suits
the greater number of figures admir
ably well and It has a certain simple
charm that is distinctly Its own. The
model Includes various novel features
In addition to those mentioned and
makes an exceedingly attractive
blouse that allows a choice of elbow
or long sleeves. In this instance pale
blue crepe de Chine is combined with
all-over lace and with silk that is cut
Into bands and embroidered but all
the pretty soft fabrics of fashion are
ipproprlate, veilings and similar light
weight wools and pretty silks and
even the mulls and the muslins.
There Is a lining which is fitted to
the figure and the waist itself con
sists of the front, backs and yoke.
The front Is cut to form extensions
ind both front and backs are laid In
one box plait at each shoulder while
the trimming straps are arranged un
der these extensions and under the
upper portions, the box plaits so pro
ducing an exceedingly attractive as
Well as unusual result. The sleeves
are the prevailing ones that are mod
erately full and can be finished at
the elbows with bands or extended to
the wrists as may be liked.
The quantity of material required
for the medium size is three and one
half yards twenty-one, threre and one
eighth yards twenty-seven or one and
seven-eighth yards forty-four inches
wide with one-half yard of all-over
lace for the yoke, one yard when long
sleeves are used, one-half yard of
silk for the bands.
Neat Traveling Costume.
About the neatest traveling cos
tume this season, one which is prac
tical and at the same time stylish,
Is a champagne-colored mohair
trimmed with brown velvet. With
clean waists in one's suit-case it
would be possible to travel for weeks
in such a costume and look right at
the end of one's journey. The hat
worn with it is a shade of brown, a
ribbon knot at one side being thrust
through with a heavy quill In which
there are both brown and orange
colors.
An All the Itage Bracelet.
A flexible bracelet that is all the
rage In London is made of flexible
gold, in the form of a strap, and is
buckled round the wrist. Some are
quite plain, and cost merely 2 10s.,
while others, set with jewels, can be
as expensive as the purse of the pur
chaser will allow.
Applying Lace Squares.
The new way of applying lace
squares is by laying them flat upon
the goods without cutting out the
material underneath. These squares
are put on the goods, secured with
stitching, and are trimmed with tiny
little frills of lace.
Change Pockets For Wrist.
Tiny change pockets are set unon
the wrists of some Biarrltx gloves,
and the wrist fulness may be left
loose.
Shoes, licit and Hat.
A 1 1 V , . i.,. -1 -
"sub fiiaj Dftjji, gray Buoes,
delicate silver nallhead belt, a white
a pretty outfit?
Net Yoke on Batiste.
The net voke of a hatlata waUt la
trimmed with straps of the batiste;
the wide cuffs are of the net with ba
tiste bands also.
Use For Thin Gown.
If you have a thin eown that is too
deep a shade to be becoming, make
an unaersiip or white silk and the
color will be softened materially.
Steel and Jet Buckles.
Steel and jet have had their places
In the making of the fashionable
belts, and excellent buckles of Inlaid
and of etched gold and silver .acs
well toward the top of the list.
Negligee Jacket For Embroidery.
Negligees made from embroidered
flouncing are among the latest and
prettiest devices of the season and
are exceedingly attractive. This one
is combined with a yoke of wide In
sertion and frills of embroidery but
there are a great many variations
that can be evolved from the design.
In addition to the flouncing It can be
made from any bordered material as
the lower edge Is quite Btralght, but
Its usefulness is not limited even to
them and any plain material can be
utilized If appropriate trimming be
added. The slightly open neck and
the elbow Bleeves are both attractive
and healthful, while the general
style ia an eitremely graceful one at
the same time that perfect simplicity
Is maintained. If a yoke of embroid
ery is not desired, 'he plain material
trimmed in any way that may bt
liked can be used or bands can be
made to serve as a finish.
The jacket is made with the full
straight portion thai is tucked at Its
upper edge and the narrow yoke to
which it is attached. The sleeves are.
simple full ones that are gathered
Into bands and to these bands the
frills are joined.
The. quantity of material required
for the medium size is two yards of
embroidered flouncing twenty-four
inches wide, one and three-eighth
yards of plain material thirty-six
Inches wide, one and one-halt yards
of insertion three and one-half Inches
wide for the yoke, five and one-half
yards of embroidery for frills to
make as illustrated; or, one and
three-fourth yards of plain material
twenty-seven, two and one-halt yards
thirty-six or one and seven-eighth
yards forty-four inches wide.