The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-09
OUR SECOND-FLOOR LODGER.

OUR SECOND-FLOOR LODGER.
When John and first began house.
keeping we were doubtful whether to
live in apartments or to take a house
and let them. We finally decided upon
the latter; for as John remarked, lodging
hOusekeepers were such pilterers that
one never knew when ones expenses
ended; like a lawyers bill, there we're
50 many items.
We began to fancy we had chosen i'll,
however, when the little embossed card
hung for three weeks in the little sit
ting room window without getting one
application, save from an old lady in the
neighborhOod, who, I am certain. came
only ont of curiosity.
But at the end of that period an elder
ly gentleman, in delicate health. called
TO look at them with his niece and de-
clded TO rent three rooms at once.
was very glad for they appeared to be
qulet people, and meeting John with a
hearty kiss that evening / told him we
were in luck at !lst.
am pleased to hear it, my girl, &"
answered John. "Only take nv ad-
wee; don't be on more friendly terms
with them than need be. Keep to yOur
place. All persons have their little
fads and peculiarities, and when tn h9se
become antagOnistic one house cannot
hold both parties. The warmest friend
ship with lOdgers generally turns to the
bltterest dislike. Mrs. Jones, presum-
ing upon Mrs. Browns good nature.
boTrows her electro teapot She makes
a dent in the lid and thus strikes the
hrst nail into the coffin of their friend
ship"
stopped johns mouth with muffin
"a failing of his-but promised TO do as
he recommended,
mat, however, was not SO easy MIR.
Forteaques niece-Miss Kathleen Mil
brooke-was such quiet, sweet, amia-
ble girl, and seemed so alone, that I
was lrreslstibly drawn to her: and, when
We me-, always had little conversation,
which, ielt sure, gave her considerable
pleasure.
Indeed, her life was terribly monOto-
nous. No one visited them, and Mr.
t"rtesquc, IA cOLRrmed invalid and a
hard, austere man, was irritable from
disposition rs well as delicate health.
and, fear, led his poor niece SO weary
ing an existence that, | amagine, when
she could geS away for n chat with me
she found 1t Il wonderful relief.
Well, they had been with us nearly
fortnight when, late one evening,
gentleman called 20 see the room we
had on the seCand-hoor back, and which
he had heard of at the sta.i1nrr's. He
was very good looking, tall, with pale
face and heavy dark beard and mus
tache.
It's very foolish, l know, but | have
always been mstrustfv,l of dark boards
and mUstachcs~ Dear Johns face is as
smooth rs an egg. But the stranger
spoke openly and fairly enough gave
m" references to his last landlady and
20 the firm where he was empioyed.
while, To cllnch the matter, he put down
the first two weeks rent in advance. as
he wished to COM in that night
ielt l ought not 90 have left him.
blt was yet nervous in the part of
landlady, and hadn't the courage to re-
fuse. And when, in about an hour. he
returned, carrying his own portmanteau.
and l, having lighted him TO his room,
came back to my OWL room, | could not
help specializing a little TREMENDOUSLY
upon what John, who had been detained
IN che city, would think.
John thought had done a verv foolish
thing, and so terrified me Oat of nv
wits by saying Our sccond-floor Iodger
was no doubt burglar, who, when we
were IN bed, would break open all the
cupboards and drawers with the skeleton
keys and "Jemmy" Cyes, that was what
John called it,, which he had concealed
IN his pOrtmauteau that couldn't get
wink of sleep through the night.
l found everything secure, however.
the next morning, and our second floor |
t0dger quietly waiting for his breakfast. |
re took 1t at halfpast seven, leaving |
nome AT eight, and seldom returning |
uutu nearly the same hour In the even |
lug, when he rarely went out AGAIN. |
doing tins SO regular that John began |
to leave off testing and terrifying me |
about my burglar" and once, happen |
ing to meet him on the doorstep, he |
asked MIR. Airlie in to have a cigar and
a glass of ale.
Our lOdger accepted the invitation, !
aud sat and talked for over an hour, |
during which be saw John was irving |
u learn something about him; but |
intellectually.
My dear, | said. smiling. when we |
Were alone. II suspect you know now |
do" ~ e'"i 10
Near about the same" he answered. |
He's as close AS the two shells of a |
walnut. nut L know this
That he is exceedingly good look
ing" | broke in.
"GOod-lOokingl Bahl That is all
You women think of. ="
Exactly, or perhaps l shouldn't |
have married you, John"
That made him laugh, and, getting
up, he gave me a kiss for my compliment
No, he went on, resuming his
seat What | meant to say was that he
mas something upon mis- mind Though |
ne can bo more than twentv-ssv. II at |
the most, ho hasn't bit of spirit, and
talks with all the air of preoccusied
man, who rs ever brooding over some
trouble. Perhaps" " said John. extend
ing his slipPered feet 10 the fire. sshe
has robbed or Is about to rob his ON
ployers."
john = ] cried, 'you horrid mon
ster How can You say such dreadful
things? It's only out of spite, because
my burglar has turned out the very
pattern of dodgers"
" stopped, checked by single tap
at the door. 1t was Miss Kathleen
MllhrOoke. Her uncle was asleep. and
she had made an excuse to come down
for cfrt know. poor child go, as
she was iav"rIts of Johns, l asked
her in"
When she again went up stairs, after
a pause, John said
g say, Meg, suppose Mr.. Airlie and
that v0nnR grrl should fall III love?"
Nonsense. joint Mr. Forteseue
would never hear of it. "
why not? p