Harper's Round Table, February 11, 1896

In a bright, oddly furnished study perched above a bustling New‑York street, an eccentric professor with a self‑funded chair in Sanskrit and archaeology prepares a spare room for an unexpected experiment. His office, half brick and half timber, is filled with towering shelves, a humor‑laden French china figure, and a meticulous house‑keeper who knows every object’s exact spot. When the professor invites his teenage nephews to stay, the stage is set for a weekend of adolescent curiosity and the professor’s oddly scientific sleuthing.

The boys, Bill and his younger brother, arrive on a muddy February day, only to discover a tiny, over‑heated stove and a house full of quirks that seem to whisper hints of hidden stories. As they navigate the professor’s baffling habits and the house’s eccentric atmosphere, a simple family visit turns into a playful investigation of tradition, invention, and the lingering ghosts of a bygone era. Listeners are drawn into a charmingly odd Victorian world where humor and mystery share the same study table.