Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-05
NO. 2e3.
Tales aud Sketehes.
THE SPARSLEY'S BOARDERs.
CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY. !

CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY
Why should he not fancy katherine as
we'll as Miss Drexel? 1t is true nothing
had been withheld from Katherine which
she had any right to expect. The gift of
concert tickets continued; she still had an
occasional-indeed more frequent seat
behind Mr.. Jeffrey's nag; when he
brought in basket of early fruit, Kather-
ines hands received it. But fruit and
flowers found their way almost every day
into Miss Drexel's room; she had q seat
in his carriage whenever he could leave
business for pleasure F.; and Huldah did not
know that katherine's drives and pleas.
ures had been increased at her rivals sug-
gestion, nor would she have thanked her
for the trouble. All this. however, was
not at all to Huldah's mind. She saw that
opportunity would make Mr.. Jeffreys the
lover of Miss Drexel unless something
should happen to interrupt their too easy
intercourse. Mr.. Jeffreys was indolent
enough in his social nature; she had never
known him to 60 out of his way to culti-
vate the young ladies, and she had Ar
gued that, once in the house and under
his eye. a young girl could make easy
prey of him indeed, she had built her
hopes for Katherine on this peculiarly of
his, and she arrived at the conclusion that
she had been fool to admit Miss Drexel
to this opportunity. She ought to have
known that plain woman was more dan
gerous than a pretty one, inasmnch as q
man is not on guard against her. while
the pretty woman is 30 pleased with her.
self that she takes little or no pains TO
please another. Huldah straightway de-
cided to get Miss Drexel out Of the house
as soon as possible. OF course, this could
not be accomplished in a direct way she
could not tell Miss Drexel up and down
that her room was better than her cOmpa-
ny, and the only other alternative was to
resort to little filings of temper and pin
picks of discomfort, which, if Miss Drexel
was anything of an epicurean, would rem
der her boarding-place highly distasteful.
Now, Miss Drexel had counted upon
making home for herself and Ally out of
these sunshiny rooms; and, though she
was no epicurean. and not much Of
stole, vet it was essential to her happiness
to live on good terms with those about
her. A quarrel was as disagreeable as
the neighborhood of infection; and Miss
Huldah undertook to quarrel with her, ad-
vised ABOUT the management Of Ally. in
terfered with her, and made the girl afraid
to go down stairs to her meals. In truth,
Miss Huldah did not care a farthing how
obnoxious she made herself, providing
she could put opportunity beyond Miss
Drexel's reach, and keep MIR. Jeffreys for
Katherine. So, when Ally was conva-
lescing, after juvenile illness. she re-
fused to have the cook prepare her dinner
at an earlier hour than that at which the
household dned, and Miss Drexel was
forced 10 go out to restaurant and pro-
cure light dinner already cooked for her
little sister. Miss Drexels means not be-
ing bountiful, and laundry work high, she
proposed to herself the care OF her own
and Ally's muslin, and requested TO be al.
lowed the use of an .ironing-board in the
back kitchen, where she would have been
in no ones way but this favor was de-
cined: Miss Huldah couldn't have ladies
pottering round in her kitchen, and spy
ing out the poverty of the land; and the
greatest concession that Miss Drexel could
wiring from her was the privilege of toll.
ing up and down two long flights of stairs
with a hot iron, to the work in her own
room.
If Miss Drexel was invited to a picnic,
Miss Huldah's cake was Just out, and her
bread in the oven, and the chickens un.
pucked. When Miss Drexel aired her
rooms. Huldah complained that she was
warming the square outside. Miss Drexel
endured everything patiently for six
months or more, thinking Miss Huldah
was overworked and made fretful and
fault-fnding by the friction OF unhappy cir.
cumstances; but, at last, she fell into
Miss Huldah trap, and went out to hunt
up a new boarding place one day. but
without confiding in her landlady. Mr..
Jeffreys had been away month OH busi-
ness and the house was less like home than
prison. She directed her steps to the
Soberley's first, who kept boarders under
protest, having had barOnet among their
ancestors, who considerably interfered
with the arrangement. Mrs. Soberly had
a quartette OF daughters to marry, howev-
er, and took only gentlemen boarders, she
said. besides" she added, ''it would be
unneighborly in me to take away the
Sparsley's boarders; we are good friends
aud they are needy women. If you were
not to the Sparsley's now-but you see
how it is ! 1t would be taking the bread
it?"
blsucdIlcHcu, MISS blCAOi puhsuCu uCA
quest to the Slicer's door; but Mrs. Slicer
having a brace of gay sons, entertained
only ''middle aged respectable women"
''And am not respectable and twenty
six ?r cried Miss Drexel.
IF you are, could never reconcile it
to my conscience to steal away the Spars.
ey's boarders," averred Mrs. Slicer with
holy horror. IL should feel like thief
and robber."
Miss Waxwork's S house was full. "You
are the Sparsley's boarder. believe P" she
said. and though two of her best rooms
would be vacant in month. she shud-
dered at the thought OF harboring the
Sparsley's boarders. as if she had been
burglar. II had one of the highest. priced
boarders wiled away from me once my
self and l said then I'd never take other
folks awav--no never--so long as my
name is Waxwork"
Mrs. Slipshod had room enough. "Oh,
yes, boarders are none too thick in Mara
thon, ma am; but, then, it's kinder un.
handsome to carry off the Sparkey's