The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-07-02
OUR SECOND-FLOOR L0DGER.

w hen ,lOnn ana 1 nrSt began mousse
keeping we We're doubuGl whether to live
i'm apartments or 10 take a house and let
them. We finally decided upon the lat
ter: for as John remarked, lodging house
keepers were such pit,rcrs thar one never
knew when ones expenses ended; like a
LAWYERS bill. there were so many items.
We began 10 fancy we had chosen III.
however, when the little embossed card
hung for three weeks in the little sitting
room window without getting one appli-
cation. save from an old lady in the neigh
borh0od. who, | am certain, came only out
ofcuriosiry.
But at the end of that period an elderly
gentleman. in delicate health, called 10
look al them with his niece and decided
10 rent three rooms at once.
| was very glad for they appeared to be
quiet people. and meeting John with a
hearty kiss that evening | told him we
were in luck at last.
- l am pleased TO hear il. my girl an
swered John. Only take my advice !;
don't be on more friendly FERNS with
them than need be. Keep TO your place.
All persons have their little pecullarities.
and when these become antsgonistic one
house cannot hold both parties. The
warmest friendship with dodgers generally
turns to the bitterest dislike. Mrs. Jones.
presuming upon Mrs. Browns good ma
fure, boIrows her electro teapot. She
makes dent in the lid and thus strikes
the first nail into the coffin OF their friend
ship
stopped Johns mouth with a muffin
failing of his-but promised TO do az he
recommended.
That. however. was not so easy. Mr..
Fortescue's niece-Miss Kathleen Mil
n. hi
girl. and seemed so alone, that / was ire
sistibly drawn to her: and, when we met.
always had little conversation, which, |
felt sure. gave her considerable pleasure.
Indeed. her lite was terribly .oroto-
nous. No one visited them, and Dir. For
tescue. confirmed invalid and hard, Aus.
tere man. was irritable from disposition as
well as delicate health. and. fear led his
poor niece so wearying an existence that
/ imagine, when she could get away for a
chat with me she found IL wonderful re-
lief.
Well. they had been with us nearly q
fortnight. when, late one evening". gen.
tleman called to see the ROOM we had or
the second floor back. and which he hac
heard OF at the sta.ioner's. He was very
good looking, tall, with a pale face anc
heavy dark beardand moustache.
It's very foolish. know, but have al
WAYS been mistrustful of dark boards anc
moustaches. Dear Johns face is a,
smooth as an egg. But the stranger spok,
openly and fairly enough; gave me refer
ences to his last landlady and to the firm
where he was employed. while, 10 clinci
the matter, he put down the first tive
weeks rent in advance, as he wished u
come in that night.
| felt | ought not TO have let him. but
was yet nervous in the part of landlady
and hadn't the courage 10 refuse. Ant
when. in about an hour. he returned. car
rying his own portmantean ~ d /, having
lighted him to his room, came back to my
own room, | could not help specula
ting little tremulously upon what John
who had been detained i'm the city, would
think.
John thought had done very foolisl
thing. and so terrified me out of my wit
by saying our second-hoor lodger was N,
doubt burglar. who. when we were II
bed, would break open all the cupboard
and drawers with the skeleton KEYS ant
"Jemmy" ives. that was what John called
it). which he had concealed in his port
manteau. that | couldn't get a wink o
sleep through the night.
l found every thing secure, however. tn,
next morning, and our second-fioorlodge
quiet waiting for his breakfast. lie tool
ii a. half-past seven. leaving home a
eight. and seldom returning until nearl,
the same hour in the evening. when h
rarely went out again, doing this so regu
lar that John began to leave off jestin,
and terrifying me about my burglar,
and once. happening to meet him on tn
doorstep, he asked Mr.. Airlie in to have
cigar and glass OF ale.
Our lodger accepted the ivitation, an
sat and talked for over an hour, durin
which he saw John was trying TO lear
something about him; Enthusiastically.
my dear" ! said, smiling, when "
were alone. IL suspect you know abor
as much about our burglar rs do"
Near about the same" he answered
He's AS close as the two shells Of a wa
nut. But know this"