Part 1

Produced by Al Haines.

*PROFESSOR JOHNNY*

*BY JAK*

AUTHOR OF "BIRCHWOOD," "FITCH CLUB," "RIVERSIDE MUSEUM"

NEW YORK THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO. 13 ASTOR PLACE

COPYRIGHT, 1887, BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO.

RAND AVERY COMPANY, ELECTROTYPERS AND PRINTERS, BOSTON.

_*CONTENTS.*_

CHAPTER

I. An Accidental Experiment II. The "Illustrated Lecture" III. The Sky-room IV. The Unwelcome Guest V. Compromises VI. Two Lessons from Nature VII. Pierre's Story VIII. At the Cottage IX. Lost X. Trouble XI. Going for Ruth XII. The Day XIII. Going to the Harbor XIV. Odds and Ends

_*PROFESSOR JOHNNY.*_

*CHAPTER I.*

*AN ACCIDENTAL EXPERIMENT.*

Johnny had been named The Professor by some of his young friends, because he wore spectacles, was fond of studying natural philosophy and chemistry, and of performing experiments. He had become so used to the name that he did not mind it much, even when some of the rude boys in the street called him Professor or Prof. His merry little sister Sue, also, was quite as apt to call him Prof. as Johnny.

One evening in June, Johnny and Sue were at home alone. Their father and mother were making calls; and Kate, the girl, had gone out marketing. It was not very uncommon for them to be in the house alone; for although Sue was rather wild and thoughtless, Johnny was very quiet and thoughtful, and Sue had been taught to mind him when her parents were away.

Johnny had been reading, and Sue amusing herself by undressing her doll and putting it to bed; but after the doll was in bed, and supposedly sound asleep, she could not think of any thing else to do by herself, and so began to tease Johnny to put up his book and play with her. Johnny was so much interested in his book that he paid but little attention to her at first, merely replying that he would play by and by. But finally Sue took hold of his book playfully, saying,--

"I mean to take away your book, for you have read long enough: mamma would say so herself if she were here."

Johnny laughed.

"That's a very handy excuse for you: whenever you want me to play, you have a sudden anxiety about my eyes."

"But you know it's just what papa and mamma say, that you read too much, and they ask you to stop reading a good deal oftener than I do. I'm sure, if they had been here, you would have had to put up that book half an hour ago."

"I shouldn't wonder if you were right about that. Well, what shall we do? Shall we play checkers?"

"Oh, no! don't let's play any thing still: let's romp a little."

"Romp!" exclaimed Johnny, making up a comical face. "You know I hate romping. Let us play a game of chess."

"No: you always beat me at those games, and so it isn't any fun; but I can beat you at romping, and so I like it. Besides, papa and mamma say it is better for you to exercise more, and they like to have you romp with me."

"I should think you were setting up for a doctress, if I didn't know you better. You are the greatest girl to get up excuses for whatever you want to do. But I suppose there'll be no peace until I romp."

Johnny put down his book with a sigh and a smile. Sue said, "Come, let's play tag. Catch me if you can!" and ran off into the dining-room. As the gas was only lighted in the front hall and in the sitting-room, it was pretty dark in the dining-room; but this suited Sue all the better: she ran around the table, with Johnny after her; and, as she hit now and then against the table, the dishes rattled ominously. She was laughing uproariously all the time, and evidently thought of nothing but the sport of dodging Johnny, at all risks.

"This won't do," said Johnny, coming to a stand-still, as Sue, in trying to escape him as he turned suddenly in the direction in which she was running, knocked over a pitcher near the end of the table: "we shall be sure to break something before long, at this rate."

"Let's go into the kitchen, then," replied Sue: "there isn't any fire in the stove, and we can't hurt any thing there. It'll be real nice and dark too: I'll bet I can hide where you can't find me."

"All right," said Johnny; and Sue danced into the kitchen, and hid behind the door. Johnny cornered her at once, however; for it happened to be lighter there than in the dining-room.

"Why, this is real queer!" exclaimed Sue, in a half vexed tone, as Johnny pulled her from her hiding-place: "it isn't dark here a single mite!"

"So it isn't," replied Johnny. "I wonder what makes it so light! The light comes in at the window. There must be a lamp in the shed, or out on the platform."

Johnny opened the door and went out. Sue followed him. The "platform" extended some little distance from the back-door, and was covered by a roof: it might have been called a piazza or a porch but for its width. At the side of the "platform" was what Johnny called the "shed:" it had been intended only for storage of wood and coal, but was so large that a small summer kitchen had been partitioned off next to the kitchen, with a door into the kitchen, and another opening upon the platform. This kitchen was used in warm weather for baking, washing, and ironing, in order to keep the heat out of the house. Kate had been ironing that afternoon, and the fire in the stove had not gone out.

As soon as they were outside the door, Sue set up a cry of alarm.

"Fire! Fire!" she cried. "The house is on fire! O Johnny, let's run off! we shall get burned up!"

Johnny stood quite still, and said nothing.

"O Johnny! come! come! what makes you stand there? It's going to explode! It'll reach over here, and set the house on fire! Let's run out into the street, and call some one to come! What makes you stand there, and not call out? You'll let the house burn up! But I shan't go and let you be burned up: you've got to come too!"

She took hold of his jacket, and pulled with all her might; for she thought Johnny was too frightened to stir.

"Keep still, Sue: I'm thinking," he replied, looking calmly and fixedly at the alarming light in the shed-window. "I can't get at it through this door very well: I guess I'll go around through the kitchen-door."

"You ain't going near it?" cried Sue, in astonishment and alarm.

"Of course I am: I can't put it out without going near it."

"You sha'n't do it! There! It's getting worse than ever! O Johnny, come in!--It's going to explode this minute!"

Johnny came in, but it was not on account of Sue's direction: he had just thought what to do.

The danger proceeded from a kerosene-lamp which stood in the summer kitchen, on a table, near the window facing the platform. It was streaming up very high, and blazing in a very remarkable and peculiar manner, as if on the point of instant explosion: the flashing and flickering were what had lighted up the kitchen so strangely.

On entering the kitchen, Johnny seized a piece of carpet which was in front of the sink, and ran with it toward the inner door of the shed.

"You sha'n't go in there, Johnny!" cried Sue. "You're going to kill yourself, and me, too, 'cause I sha'n't run away and leave you;" and she began to cry bitterly. But Johnny hurried on into the shed, and Sue dared not follow him: she was only just brave enough not to run out of the house, and leave him there to die or be horribly burned alone.

Just then Kate returned. As she stepped upon the platform, and saw the alarming spectacle, she screamed wildly, "Fire! help! help!" Just at that moment, too, a boy in the neighborhood, who had heard Sue's cries, came rushing into the yard. Hearing Kate's outcry, and seeing the blaze in the shed, he rushed into the street, shouting "Fire!" at the top of his voice, and telling everybody he met that the back part of Mr. Le Bras' house was all in a blaze. The first man who heard the news gave the signal at the alarm-box at the corner.

But before Kate or Sue could scream again, Johnny had darted through the inner door, and thrown the rug over the lamp.

"O Johnny! Johnny! run! run! it'll explode now, sure!" cried Kate wildly, thinking the carpet would send the blaze down into the lamp instantly. But all was in darkness.

"Johnny! Oh! where is he?" screamed Sue, almost fancying he must have died with the blaze somehow.

"Sure, and there ain't any fire now at all!" said Kate, in wonderment. "Where are you, Johnny?"

"Here I am," said a calm voice at her elbow. "Didn't that go out quickly? I knew it would as soon as the rug was over it, but I was a little afraid it might explode before I could get it covered: I didn't really believe it would, though; for father says he is always very careful to get the best of kerosene."

"What a brave boy!" said Kate admiringly. "But you oughtn't to have risked your life so, Johnny. And what could have ailed that lamp? I'll light a candle, and go and see what the matter was; for I don't dare touch another kerosene-lamp. I left that one all right when I went off, about an hour and a half ago."

After lighting the gas in the kitchen, Kate lighted a candle, and entered the shed, preceded by Johnny. Sue still feared it was unsafe, and stood on the platform, telling them they had better not go in.

Kate took up the end of the rug, and peered cautiously underneath, prepared to run and pull Johnny after her if there was a spark of fire left; but, as all was dark, she assisted Johnny to remove the rug. The lamp appeared to be all right. Johnny put his hand upon the glass portion.

"Why, see how hot it is, Katie!" he said: "it must have got heated standing in this little warm room so near the stove, and that made the kerosene swell, I guess, and go up in the wick, and run over at the top; and so the kerosene was on fire on the outside,--that was all."

"That was all!" exclaimed Sue, who had now ventured to follow them. "Well, I should think that was enough. I never was so scared in all my life.--But there's a fire somewhere, for there's the bell ringing."

"Sure enough," said Johnny; "and it's our box too!"

At that moment, a number of men and boys came running into the yard.

"Where's the fire?" said the foremost man, as he stepped hurriedly upon the platform.

"There isn't any fire here," replied Johnny: "a kerosene-lamp was blazing, that's all; but we've put it out."

Then the men went off laughing, and the boys hooting. Kate let the fire down in the grate, saying she was going to have every spark of fire out in that stove before she went to bed; and the children went back into the sitting-room.

"Well, Sue," said Johnny, "I hope you've had all the romping you want for this evening."

Just then a key turned hurriedly in the door, and Mr. Le Bras entered, followed by Mrs. Le Bras. Mr. Le Bras glanced at Sue and Johnny without saying a word; and Mrs. Le Bras sank into a chair, looking very pale and helpless. Mr. Le Bras went to the dining-room and got some water, without saying a word to the children, who stood by in great alarm.

"What is the matter with mamma?" asked Sue, in a hushed voice.

Mr. Le Bras offered his wife the water, but she shook her head. "I shall feel better presently," she said, in a faint voice. "Can the house be on fire, and they not know it, Frank?"

"No, indeed," replied Mr. Le Bras; "and I told you the engine would not have gone back into the engine-house unless it were a false alarm, or the fire was put out." Then he said, turning to Johnny, "The fire has been put out, hasn't it, my son?"

"Yes," said Johnny: "it wasn't any thing but a kerosene-lamp blazing up in the summer kitchen."

"And 'twas Johnny who put it out," said Sue.

"Sue and Katie screamed, and made the alarm," said Johnny.--"So they got the engine started, did they?"

"Yes," replied Mr. Le Bras: "it was just going back into the engine-house when we came by there. As we turned the corner, we heard a man saying our house was on fire; and I thought your mother would die before I got her home, although I called her attention to the fact that the engine was going back."

"I feel better now," said Mrs. Le Bras. "So there hasn't been a fire at all! I never had such a fright before in all my life!"

But Mrs. Le Bras was still so nervous that her husband would not allow the children to talk about the accident any more, after they and Katie had fully explained the occurrence. The conversation regarding it was ended for the evening by Johnny's saying to his father, "That was a pretty good experiment to illustrate how soon a fire will stop if the supply of oxygen is cut off: only it was an accidental experiment."

"It could not properly be called an experiment," replied his father: "an experiment is something done purposely; but it answered the same purpose."

"I don't understand why the fire went out when Johnny threw the rug over it," said Sue.

"That's what I can't understand," added Kate.

"I'll explain it to you to-morrow," said Johnny. "Alec Miner is coming over to-morrow after school to see me perform some experiments: and while I am performing some of them, I will explain how a fire is caused by the uniting of oxygen with carbon and hydrogen; for it is nothing but a chemical union, like ever so many that can be made; only it is so common that folks don't think any thing about it."

"So common that folks don't think about it?" said Sue.

"Johnny has stated it very well," said Mr. Le Bras, smiling. "If you saw a fire for the first time, Sue, you would be very anxious to know what produced the heat and the bright light; but because you have seen the phenomenon so often, ever since you can remember, you never think to ask the cause of it."

*CHAPTER II.*

*THE "ILLUSTRATED LECTURE."*

Something happened the next day to disturb Johnny's naturally good spirits. When he got home from school at noon, Sue met him at the door with,--

"Something has happened to make you feel awful bad, Johnny. It came this morning in a letter; and mamma said I might prepare your mind for it, but I mustn't tell you right out in the first place."

Mr. Le Bras, who was in the sitting-room when Sue made this announcement, began to laugh heartily.

"Well, well, Sue!" he said: "if your mother heard how well you tell bad news, I am afraid she would not trust you to do it again. Why, you have given Johnny a regular bomb-shell to begin with!"

"I guess it isn't any thing so bad as you pretend, Sue, since father is laughing at it," replied Johnny cheerfully, although his face had fallen considerably before his father began to laugh.

"I'll bet you," said Sue, looking quite disturbed at her father's interference in her news-telling, "that he's only laughing so as not to let you think it's so bad as it is: but now he's begun, he can tell it to you his own self; though mother said I might."

Sue went off into the dining-room, where Kate was, with tears in her eyes, and something very like a pout about her mouth.

"I think papa was too bad!" she said.

"What is it, father?" asked Johnny, after Sue had disappeared.

"I think I'll let Sue tell, when she gets over her pet," replied Mr. Le Bras. "The heavens are not going to fall, Johnny. I think you are enough of a philosopher to rise above the calamity, although I really suppose you will feel pretty badly in the first place."

"This is funny enough," said Johnny, not knowing whether to laugh or feel anxious: although, of course, he saw it must be only an individual annoyance pertaining to himself, and not a household misfortune, since his father was inclined to laugh so heartily over it.

Just then Mrs. Le Bras entered the room.

"Mother," asked Johnny, "what dreadful thing has happened to me?"

"Hasn't Sue told you?" replied his mother.

"No," said Johnny, and he related what had occurred. Mrs. Le Bras smiled. "Very well. Sue has prepared your mind for it, then, and your father has shown that it is something that can be lived through: I think that will do until Sue gets ready to tell you the rest; for, although she is inclined to be sulky, I think I will not break my promise of letting her tell you, unless she gets to be very naughty indeed."

Kate then announced that dinner was ready; and they all went into the dining-room, and sat down at the table. Sue was there in her place by Johnny's side; but she said nothing more about the bad news, and looked quite dignified as well as very sober.

"Come, Sue," said Johnny coaxingly, "tell me what has happened."

"No: papa can tell you, since he couldn't let me do it my own self."

"I don't see what bad news could possibly come to me in a letter."

"But there has, and that's all I'm going to say about it: papa can tell you," replied Sue resolutely.

"Don't tease Sue to tell you," said his mother. "If it were good news, you would naturally be anxious to hear it; but since Sue assures you that it is bad news, the longer you are ignorant of it the better."

"Only it rather keeps me in suspense," said Johnny, smiling.--"Come, Sue, tell me, please."

"No, I sha'n't," said Sue, shaking her head resolutely.

Mr. Le Bras gave Johnny a look which meant, "Don't ask her to tell;" and nothing more was said about the bad news that noon. Johnny went off to school in quite good spirits: and when he got home, and found Alec there, and his sister Belle with him, he was wholly forgetful of the calamitous news in store for him; so that he had quite a little respite between the first hint of the coming misfortune and the bitter realization of it which arrived shortly afterwards.

After talking upon ordinary topics with his visitors for a little while, Johnny said, "Since you wanted to see some little experiments, if you will go up in my laboratory I will perform a few. As I haven't any but the very simplest apparatus, and besides don't know much about chemistry and philosophy, I can't show you much; but I'll do the best I can."

"You know a good deal more than I do," replied Alec. "I expect to study chemistry and philosophy at the high school next year; but I don't know any thing about them now, and, of course, Belle don't; she just came over with me out of curiosity, when I told her you had promised to show me how to do a few experiments if I would come over to-day."

"Is there any particular subject you would like to have illustrated?" asked Johnny politely.

"No," replied Alec: "one thing will do just as well as another."

"Then, perhaps you would like to see how two chemicals will combine to make a third entirely different from either of the two."

"Yes," replied Belle, "I should like that very much."

"So should I," said Alec.

"I think I'll call Sue to go into the laboratory with us, as I promised to show her some experiments when you were here;--if you will please excuse me a moment."

Presently Johnny came back with Sue.

As soon as Sue got into the room, she said, "Johnny's going to tell us all about fire, and how the rug came to put the lamp out."

Of course, then Johnny had to explain what Sue meant; and that led to a full account of the accident of the evening before, and how Sue and Kate got out the fire-engine, which interested and amused the visitors very much.

The laboratory was a small room at the end of the upper hall. As there were plenty of rooms up-stairs, there had never been a bed in it; and after Johnny began to have so many chemicals, and to experiment so much, Mrs. Le Bras had taken up the carpet, and allowed him to use the room for a laboratory. Mr. Le Bras had hired a carpenter to put some shelves in the front part of the closet; and here were arranged the various bottles, jars, saucers, tumblers, pipes, tubes, and other appliances which Johnny had collected.

There was a table in the centre of the room, with a chair beside it.

"I will get some chairs," said Johnny, disappearing as soon as the guests were ushered in; while Sue politely offered the chair to Belle.

"Johnny don't have company in the laboratory very often," she explained.

Johnny came back immediately, bringing two chairs; but Alec said he did not care to sit down at present. As for Johnny, he was very busy taking things from the closet-shelf, and arranging them on the table, talking all the time.

"I suppose you know what chemical union is?" said Johnny to Alec.

"No, I don't think I do," replied Alec hesitatingly. "That is, although I know what union means, and what chemical means, I am not sure what they mean together."

"You know how sugar and salt dissolve in water, the particles of sugar and salt lying between the particles of water, just as a whole lot of different kinds of little seeds might be all mixed together without uniting at all?"

"I never thought about that before," replied Alec. "I didn't suppose fluid could be compared to seeds; and I had an idea that the salt and sugar became fluid somehow when they were dissolved, and so mixed in with the water."

"The particles of the water are very small; and the sugar and salt, when they come into contact with water, separate into very tiny particles, which fill in the places between the particles of water until there is no room left, and then all the sugar or salt you put in afterwards settles to the bottom by itself. But there is no union at all between the salt or sugar and the water; that is, they do not unite to form any different substance."

While Johnny was saying this, he was pouring some grayish powder into a cup. Then he put an old spoon in the powder, and took a vial of yellow liquid from the shelf.

"This is whiting," said Johnny. "If I put some water on it, and stir them together, I shall have nothing but whiting and water. Perhaps I'd better prove that first."

Here he took out a spoonful of the whiting, and put it into a little saucer, and poured some water upon it, and stirred it.

"There you have a mixture similar to sugar and water, or salt and water; the ingredients are very closely mixed, but they are not united to form any different substance; if it should stand a while, the water would evaporate, and leave the same amount of real whiting.--But now I will pour some vinegar on the whiting in the cup, and you will see a difference."

Johnny poured some vinegar from the vial into the cup, and stirred the mixture with the spoon.

"You see all those bubbles? Those are bubbles of a kind of gas; as fast as they break, the gas that has been formed by the chemical union of the vinegar and whiting will pass into the air, and what is left in the cup will not be vinegar and whiting; there will be no real vinegar and no real whiting left; parts of each have united to make the gas; so each has lost something peculiar to itself, and cannot be the very same article that it was before."

"Some of the bubbles are real big, and you can't break them easily with the spoon," said Sue, who was stirring the mixture curiously. "I wish my soap-bubbles would be as tough."

"Now," continued Johnny, "mixing the whiting and the vinegar caused a real chemical union: two substances united to make a third substance entirely different from the two original ingredients."

"I think I understand what a chemical union is now," said Alec.

"And so do I," said Belle.

"This would be a beautiful experiment to illustrate a chemical union, if it were not so very common," continued Johnny.

As he spoke, he took a match from a match-safe he had placed on the table, struck it against the edge of the table, and held it out, smiling playfully.

"Fire is one of the most beautiful chemical unions known; and the burning of a match is an excellent illustration of the different temperatures which different substances require, in order that they may unite with the oxygen in the air, or be on fire as we call it."