The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-12-07

| he 10 very SOOu, sdlu harry, Ber1-
Gus expression coming over his face.
But there is one thing that do wish
he would send-his name. l hate mys-
Ivy"
"Bat you like goose" added his sister.
Gwen, yes : frankly, 1 Ido-sherry like
wise. He sivs that he is an old friend
of our parents; but if he is ashamed to
acknowledge us nov, had sooner be
without his charity. However, it is un
I gracious to say SO and after swallowing
a twenty-pound note it would be absurd
to strain at a goose and giblets. We
will eat the bird on the day set apart by
the church. Shall we invite our fellow
lodgerY"
Mr.. Nicholson? Oh, certainly"
When the tea-things were cleared
away, and the lamp lit, Susan Mapleson
set to work upon her brothers buttons
and socks, and while she sewed and
darned, be read novel aloud to her I;
equitable division of labor!
Just as he had finished a chapter, the
hall-door closed, and observing that
Mr.. Nicholson had come in, and that it
would be good plan to give him his
invitation at once, Harry Mapleson rose
and went out, returning presently, fol-
lowed by the fellow lodger, an elderly
man with slight stoop, who placed his
hat and umbrella on a chair, and came
forward to greet Susan, who took off her
thimble to shake hands with him.
Have you been to the British Mu-
scum to- day 7" she asked.
Yes, my dear yes, as usual l am
leech applied by the publishers to old
| books"
GA leech No; a bee."
"Well, that is perhaps prettier way
of putting it, and more complimentary
both to myself and the venerable authors
l draw from they are howery enough
sometimes too. But the bee skips from
bud to blossom in q gay, coquettish
manner, which would never draw the
honey out of black letter volume, let
alone medieval manuscript. fear
that leech is more literal"
"But then, what term would you have
left to apply to the publishers Z" asked
Harry,
may, nay" said the old man; "I
cannot complain. They pay me very
well; there is not much competition in
my musty line"
A tyro in physiognomy might have
pronounced Mr.. Nicholson to be intel
lectual and benevolent, but it would
have taken an adept in the art to deci-
pher the expression which habitually
spread over his features. There was a
weary, hopeless, hunted look which told
of great suffering, either mental or ply
sical-pfobably the former, for the deep
lines about his mouth and eyes were of
that character which is worn by sus-
tanned rather than spasmodic action OF
the muscles. He was a man with ter
rible, because a secret, sorrow. 1 do
not say that you would have gathered
all this on the present occasion, for when
he was in the society of the Maplesons
he was different being. He was
lonely man; most workers have two
lives, a professional and natural one,
but until quite lately he had been
student and nohing else; studying for
his livelihood; studying for companion
ship, even at meal-times; studying to
find an opiate. But since he had formed
an acquaintanceship which soon ripened
into friendship with the brother and sis
ter, life had acquired new interest for
on the salt waste of his existence.
He promised to dine with them on
Michaelmas Day; and then Susan gave
him his greatest treat-some of Men
delssohn's music. He would sit and lis
ten till the water came into his eyes;
and this was not such q very curious
phenomenon, for though the girl was
not any very brilliant performer, treat
ing her instrument like a musical ira
peze, and going through all sorts of
wonderful symnastic feats upon it, she
played with rare feeling and expression,
sending the notes into the heart, as it
were. AT half-past ten the party broke
up. Harry Mapleson considered that as
his sister rose early to look after domes-
tic matters, and get his breakfast for
him (for even very small establishment
requires considerable attention when you
have only got the third part of servant
to " do" for you she ought to be early
at the other end of the day, too; so he
invariably yawned and went up to his
room at the top of the house before
eleven. But when he got there he made
no preparations for going to bed, but
put writing materials out on table,
and drawing from his pocket the papers
which he had received from one of the
heads of departments before leaving the
Office, he sat down to work. 1t was three
o'clock before his task was accomplished.
"A slice of luck this" he said to him
self on turning in at last "just as was
wondering how / should meet those pay
ments / had overlooked without cutting
off some little expense, which could
show Susan that l was hard up, get
this extra job of work, which will set
me straight. What manager that girl
is am afraid she stints herself in
dress and that, though, which must not
be; it shall not be, mother, If can help
it," And thinking of her who was gone
he fell asleep.
Susan's bedroom communicated with
the parlor, and when her brother and
Mr.. Nicholson went up stairs, she passed
into it, returning again soon with a
quantity of millinery materials, from
which she proceeded to concoct one of
those articles of feminine adornment
which fathers and husbands pay SO high
ly for.
"Poor old Harryl" her thoughts ran,
as her nimble fingers worked. "He
thinks that do not see that his salary
Is too little for our expenses, and l burst
not demonstrate with him when he
wastes his money upon things / really
do not want; it would dissppoint him
so How little he thinks that l often
follow him into London, carrying my
work to the shop when it is completed
The ordinary seamstress' work tried at