The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-08-27
THE SPARSLEY'S BOARDERS.
From Harper's Bazar. !

FROM harper : Bazaf.
The Misses Sparsley were ladies in re-
duced circumstances, who had opened a
clearinghouse in order to keep body and
soul together, and had hardly managed,
by dint of high charges and Indifferent
fare to make both ends meet, with an in
capablity for business characteristic in
ladies in reduced circumstances. In their
secret hearts they despised themselves
for having yielded to necessity in weak
moment, and departed from the traditions
of their forefathers-for having stained
their hands with ignoble baking and
brewing, sweeping and dusting. Genteel
penury seemed much more respectable
in their eyes. They had dreamed dreams
to be sure of an invalid lady in search of
n companion, who would sit in crimson
boudoir and read the WaverIy Novels,
and take airings in the fashionable square
with carriage and span; but as the in
valid lady failed to put in an appearance,
while boarders did not, choice in en-
ployment was hardly admissible. In the
meantime they were not old enough to
have renounced that earlier dreams of
marriage, and perhaps the idea that it
was possible for them to be lifted out of
the obscurity which they hated at some
future day, gave relish to life that it
might otherwise have lacked. 1t was at
this very genteel clearinghouse that
Miss Drexel and her little sister took
rooms one autumn. They were orphans,
who had been obliged to surrender the
luxuries of city home after the settle
ment Of their fathers estate, and retire
to the little sea-board town of Marathon,
where schooling and living were sup
posed to be cheap. 1t had seemed to be
a mere matter of accident that she would
have decided upon this place, with the
world before her where to choose. She
had been looking over the map of New
England one day with her lawyer, and
the name took her fancy.
Marathon!" said she, 1 don't know
but | should like to go there. 1t sounds
heroic and historic"
eyes, fine place." answered the law
yer" public schools-twelve thousand
population-a dozen churches-cotton
mills"
Handy in case I should lose my
pittance," added Miss Drexel.
Saving banks" the lawyer continued,
"and horse railroad. I've friend there,
too; second cousin of introduce
you. Ben Jeffreys is capital fellow a
lawyer, too; it runs in the family. I'll
write and ask him how he thinks it will
do for you. He'll know about boarding
houses and all that"
And 50 it happened that Mr.. Benedict
Jetfreys wrote in answer that he thought
it would do to turn, and recommended
the Misses Sparsley's boarding-house,
where he lodged himself He even offered
to meet Miss Drexelat the station, which
he did; and perhaps he experienced a
twinge of disappointment when she lifted
her veil and showed travel-worn and
tear-stained face, with a pair of placid
blue eyes and an unsymmetrical nose. re-
lieved by fine, firm mouth and ROSY
English complexion. The Sparsleys re-
ceived her with beamng cordialitv.
They had feared to see New York Girl
of fashion, full of follies and firtation-a
beauty, perhaps, whose very umbrella
would have an air of elegance and bon
ton, who would wear four-buttoned gloves
and French boots and real Valcenciennes:
whereas she seemed, from their point of
view, plain, everyday sort of girl, with
no pretenions, and not in the least danger
Gus to man like Mr.. JefTreys. For, i'm
truth, Miss Katherine Sparsley had
tender regard for said Benedict, which
her elder sister fostered and furthered-
a regard which nurtured itself on very
scanty nutriment, to be sure: on tickets
to concerts and lectures, on an occasional
seat behind his gray steed, on Christmas
gifts and birthday tokens, and little
kindnesses which it was as natural as
breathing for him to offer toward who
ever came in his way. In return, he
possessed a small valise full of en-
broidered slippers, braided smoking-caps,
watch-cases, etc, of Katherine's handi-
work; the walls of his room were hung
with poor daubs in water-colors, remind
ers of birthdays and holidays; there
we're tides on every armchair, and his
sofa-cushion had been purloined in order
20 re-appearin SPLENDID toilette of Gala
lilies and ivy leaves. All these atten-
tions might have given him a hint of
Miss Katherine's "open secret" if Mr..
Jeffreys had lent any thought to the lam
guage, and had not been too well used to
ladylike attentions. In fact, il was due
To this amiable weakness on the part of
Miss Katherine that the house was filed
only with elderly widows and antiquated
spinsters and clergymen who had out
lived their usefulness, and that they had
been induced to take Miss Drexel merely
because Mr.. Jeffreys had urged it, and
had proposed giving up his room, and
finding lodgings at the hotel, in order
that they might accommodate her. or
two evils they naturally chose the lesser;
il would be impossible to rid themselves
Of Miss Drexel If she proved trouble
some; but il Mr.. JefIreys departed. il