pushed open the library door, but Mr. Stevenson was not there Instead, there was someone new sitting at a chair beside his chair and Mr. Stevenson’s chair was empty.
“Where is Mr. Stevenson? I was supposed to meet him.” She clearly looked distraught, and this person she was facing was also new to her.
The man in question replied, “Mr. Stevenson was called out. I am just filling in for him. I am Mr. Kippler and will assist him more regularly from now on.”
Merly stood there and didn’t say a thing. So Mr. Kippler said, “What is your name? And do you have a message for him?”
“Mr. Kippler, do you know who called him?” she asked, but didn’t give away her name.
“What is your name?” he asked again, and then said, “Is there a book you need? I can help you out.”
“No, Mr. Kippler, I need to see him. It is important,” she replied and at that moment saw Mr. Stevenson walking in through the door. He had the appearance of someone who was just interrogated and for a flip second, Merly felt pity for him.
Mr. Stevenson passed her without giving her a second look. Merly looked down; this was never how Mr. Stevenson had behaved before. He was always answering her, helping her out with finding books and giving her information, but this time, he looked ill at ease. It was clear that something was troubling him. A younger student walked past her to complete the formalities on borrowing a few books. Merly waited for the process to complete, but with every passing moment, she was getting impatient.
She went up to Mr. Stevenson when the younger student left, but she was uncomfortable to question him in front of Mr. Kippler. Therefore, when Mr. Kippler went out to take a drink, it was the perfect opportunity for Merly to get the unfinished answer in lieu of her question.
“Mr. Stevenson,” Merly called out and he looked up to her. “Oh! It’s you again.” Merly nodded.
“Mr. Stevenson, who was it that called Nora that day? You said someone called for her,” she asked.
“Of course, someone called for her and I showed him the way to where she was. It was your professor, Mr. Summers.”
“Mr. Summers?” Merly was taken aback; of all the people she had expected, she didn’t expect it to be Mr. Summers.
“Mr. Summers!” she exclaimed. “He came looking for her? But why would he do that? We just had our classes before that and he never even…” she left her thought unfinished.
“There was no reason for him to call her.” Nora was never inclined towards Mr. Summers lectures. She was fonder of Mr. Paisley; therefore, any interaction between them was unlikely and more so of Mr. Summers looking for Nora to ask her something.
“Merly!” Mr. Stevenson called out. He had pity in his eyes and Merly could see that. Perhaps he could sense her inner turmoil. It was obvious that something was bothering her and the lack of sleep for two days had left her looking almost gaunt.
“I suppose your friend was searching for a person,” he said very quietly as if he didn’t want anyone around him to hear him say that.
“She was looking for someone in the criminology section?” Merly questioned back with an exasperated expression plastered on her face.
“After that she went where the year books and old college magazines are stored. When Mr. Summers came looking for her, I directed him toward where Nora was, but soon after, I followed him to see if they needed something,” he said in one breath.
“And you heard them talking? Please tell me something, Mr. Stevenson. Nora has not been home for two days and I am rightfully worried.”
“Well, it was not right for me to pry, but as I went near, I heard Nora say that she was looking for someone. Mr. Summers said that it was not important or something in those lines.” He waited for Merly to say something, but continued on, “I think they saw me and stopped talking. I shouldn’t be saying this to you; it is not my business.”
“Mr. Stevenson, I
“Where is Mr. Stevenson? I was supposed to meet him.” She clearly looked distraught, and this person she was facing was also new to her.
The man in question replied, “Mr. Stevenson was called out. I am just filling in for him. I am Mr. Kippler and will assist him more regularly from now on.”
Merly stood there and didn’t say a thing. So Mr. Kippler said, “What is your name? And do you have a message for him?”
“Mr. Kippler, do you know who called him?” she asked, but didn’t give away her name.
“What is your name?” he asked again, and then said, “Is there a book you need? I can help you out.”
“No, Mr. Kippler, I need to see him. It is important,” she replied and at that moment saw Mr. Stevenson walking in through the door. He had the appearance of someone who was just interrogated and for a flip second, Merly felt pity for him.
Mr. Stevenson passed her without giving her a second look. Merly looked down; this was never how Mr. Stevenson had behaved before. He was always answering her, helping her out with finding books and giving her information, but this time, he looked ill at ease. It was clear that something was troubling him. A younger student walked past her to complete the formalities on borrowing a few books. Merly waited for the process to complete, but with every passing moment, she was getting impatient.
She went up to Mr. Stevenson when the younger student left, but she was uncomfortable to question him in front of Mr. Kippler. Therefore, when Mr. Kippler went out to take a drink, it was the perfect opportunity for Merly to get the unfinished answer in lieu of her question.
“Mr. Stevenson,” Merly called out and he looked up to her. “Oh! It’s you again.” Merly nodded.
“Mr. Stevenson, who was it that called Nora that day? You said someone called for her,” she asked.
“Of course, someone called for her and I showed him the way to where she was. It was your professor, Mr. Summers.”
“Mr. Summers?” Merly was taken aback; of all the people she had expected, she didn’t expect it to be Mr. Summers.
“Mr. Summers!” she exclaimed. “He came looking for her? But why would he do that? We just had our classes before that and he never even…” she left her thought unfinished.
“There was no reason for him to call her.” Nora was never inclined towards Mr. Summers lectures. She was fonder of Mr. Paisley; therefore, any interaction between them was unlikely and more so of Mr. Summers looking for Nora to ask her something.
“Merly!” Mr. Stevenson called out. He had pity in his eyes and Merly could see that. Perhaps he could sense her inner turmoil. It was obvious that something was bothering her and the lack of sleep for two days had left her looking almost gaunt.
“I suppose your friend was searching for a person,” he said very quietly as if he didn’t want anyone around him to hear him say that.
“She was looking for someone in the criminology section?” Merly questioned back with an exasperated expression plastered on her face.
“After that she went where the year books and old college magazines are stored. When Mr. Summers came looking for her, I directed him toward where Nora was, but soon after, I followed him to see if they needed something,” he said in one breath.
“And you heard them talking? Please tell me something, Mr. Stevenson. Nora has not been home for two days and I am rightfully worried.”
“Well, it was not right for me to pry, but as I went near, I heard Nora say that she was looking for someone. Mr. Summers said that it was not important or something in those lines.” He waited for Merly to say something, but continued on, “I think they saw me and stopped talking. I shouldn’t be saying this to you; it is not my business.”
“Mr. Stevenson, I
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