The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-25
Drexel will favor us toos am about tired of

did not work. Miss Huldah became SO en-
tangled in the bran hes of the family tree
that she trumped her partners trick. Kath-
crime was Mr. Jeffrey's partner, but he saw
nobody but Miss D.exel. Hiss Huldah be-
gan to doubt if he understood that graLdpapa
had kept his carriage and span, mad enter
tanned commodore, and had built and lived
in Pimlico Place, at the court end of Mara
thon, where she and Katherine had first seen
the day. She forgot that all this was an old
story to Mr.. Jetfreys, OF which he was already
weary, and which affected linn not nearly SO
much as if they had been born in a h0vel and
reared on mud pies. In spite of Ter plain
face and common place style, Miss Drexel
was working mischief for Katherine, HulGah
feared; and she took her work up to that
young reprobate's room one afternoon, and
read her an indirect lecture on the impropri-
ETY. of seeing gentlemen alone in a boarding
house, especially il you were young woman
with no family behind you, in astrange place,
where folks were ready to talk. In fact. be-
fore the summer was half through Miss Hull
dab was at her wits end. She declined to
give up the cherished scheme of half dozen
summers for this upstart. Why should he
not fancy Katherine as well as Miss Drexel.
1t is true, nothing bad been withheld from
Katherine which she had any right to expect
The gilt of concert tickets continued; she still
had an occasional-indeed, q more frequent
seat behind Mr. Jeffreys' nag; when he
brought in a basket of early fruit, Katherine's
b lnds received it. But fruit and flowers
found their way almost every day into Miss
Drexel's room; she had a seat in his carriage
whenever he could leave business for pleasure,
and Hudah did not know that Katherine's
drives aud pleasures had been increased at
her rivals suggestion, nor would she have
thanked her for her trouble. All this, how
ever was not at all to Huldah's mind. She
saw that opportunity would make Mr.. JET
freys the lover Of Miss Drexel, unless some
thing should happen to interrupt their too
easy intercourse. Mr.. Jeffreys was INDECENT
enough in his social nature; she had never
known him to go out OF his way to cultivate
the young ladies, and she had argued that
once in the house and under his eye young
girl could make easy prey OF him; indeed,
she had built her hopes for Katherine on this
popularity OF his, and she arrived at the con-
cusion that she had been a fool to admit Miss
Drexel to this opportunity. She ought 10
have known that plain woman was more
dangerous than pretty one, inasmuch as
man is not on guard against her, while the
city woman is ST. W IL Pleased with herself
t nat she takes little or no pains to please an
O'her. Huldah straightway decided to get
Miss DreXel out oil the house as soon as pos
S BILE. OF course this could not be accom-
plished in direct way; she could not tell
Miss DreXel up anG down that her room was
better than her company, and the only other
alternative was to resor. to little fling OF tenn
per and pin-pricks of discomfort, which, if
Miss Drexel was anything OF an epicurean,
would render her boarding-place highly dis
tasteful.
Now, Miss Drexel had counted upon max
ing home for srself and Ally out of these
sunshiny rooms; and though she was no ep-
lcurean, and not much of a stole, yet it was
essential to her happiness to live on good
terms with those about her. A quarrel was
as disagreeable as a neighborhood of infec-
ton; as Miss Huldah undertook to quarrel
with her, lectured her, advised about the
management OF Ally, interfered with her,
and made the girl dread to 60 down stairs to
her meals. In truth, Miss Huldah did not
care farthing how obnoxious she made her
self, provided she could put opportunity be-
you'd Miss Drexeps reach, aud keep Mr..
Jefreys tor Katherine. So, when Ally was
convalescing after juvenile illness, she re-
fused to have the cook prepare her dinner at
an earlier hour than that at which the house
hold dined, and Miss Drexel was forced to go
out to restaurant and procure light din
ner already cooked for her little sister. Miss
DrexePs means not being boun.iful, and
laundry-work high, she proposed to herself
the care OF her own and Ally's muslin, and
requested to be allowed The use Of an ironing
boa,d IN the back kitchen, where she would
have been in no ones way; but this favor
was decliDed. Miss Huldah couldn't have
ladies' potterlng round in the kitchen, and
spying out the poverty OF the land; and the
greatest con, ession that Miss Drexel could
wiring from her was the privilege of toiling
up and down two long flights of stairs with
hot iron, to do the work in her own room.
II Miss Drexel was invited to picnic, Miss
Huldah's cake was just out, and her bread in
Iii
When Miss Drexel aired her rooms. Hudah
complained that she was warming the square
outside. Miss DreXe endured everything
patiently for six months or more, thinking
MISS Huldah was overwosked, and made fret
ful and fault-findiug by the friction of I'M
happy circumstances; but at last she fell into
Miss Hudah's trap, and went out to hunt up
new boarding place one day, but without
conhdlng In her landlady. MI. Jeffreys had
peen away month on business. and the
house was less like home THAI prison. She
directed her steps to the Soberley's first. who
Kept Doalders under protest, having had
baronet among their ancest )rs, who cons,d
erably interfered with the arrangement.
Mrs. Soberly had a quartette of daughters to
marry, however, and took only gentlemen
bJarders, she said. "Besides," she addeo,
ut would be so unneighborIy in me to take
away the Sparsleys' boarders; we are good
weren't the Sparsleys' boarders, now-but
you see how it is! 1t would be taking the
bread out OF a neighbours mouth, now
wouldn't it?'
Dsheartened, Miss Drexel pursued her
quest to the Slicers' door; but Mrs. Slicer,
having brace of gay sons, entertained Only
"mlddle-aged, respectable women"
Am L not respectable, and twenty-six?'
cried Miss Drexel.
ssTf Won arc I oo,ld Dovar ,ooopo:Ja - 70
my conscience to steal away the Sparsleys'
boarders," averred Mrs Slicer, with holy
horror. II should feel like thief and a rob-
ber!'
Mrs. Waxwork's house was full. sYou
are the Sparsleys' boarders, 1 believer" she
said and though two of her best rooms
would be vacant in month, she shuddered
at the prospect of harboring the Sparsleys'
boarders as if she had been a burglar. 81
had oae Of my highest-priced boarders wiled
away from me once myself, and said then
I'd never take other folks away-no, never
so long as my name is Waxwork.
Mrs. S!ipshod had room enough. ooh yes;
boarders are none too thick in Marathon,
ma'am; but then it's kinder unhandsome to
carry off the Sparseleys' boarders, when
they've seen better days. l shouldn't never
expect to prosper if was that unneighborly,
l shouldn't"
Miss Drexel went back to the Sparseleys',
climbed up to her own room, and sat down
alone in tears. Throughout all Marathon
she was only the Sparseleys' boarder. The
sunshine danced in, tangled en- its way
among the vines at the windows, pranking in
the elories of the lacqnered table, touching
the old portraits till they seemed alive and
about to address the Sparseley's boarder
just then, while the tears were wet on her
cheeks, somebody tapped lightly at the door,
and pushed it open.
"a pretty way to welcome your friendsv'
said a CHEEKY voice. One would think you
had lost them all.''
GIVE lost my Identify" said she, half
laughing: "Pm nobody but the Sparsley's
bOarderr'
DRY your tears. That's something which
can be remedied, if you wil'
81 m not crying, Sir.''
Certainly not, if you say so;''
"Perhaps you'd cry if you had lost your
identity. I'd be ashamed to laugh at home
less and nameless girl. who is SO disagreeable
that no one will board her.''
How? Has Miss Huldah dismissed you
for flirting with your humble servant?''