Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-12-19
A FEW BOARDERS.

My DEAR" said Mr.. Pension, to his
wife, don't you think it would be a
good idea for us to take few
boarders ?"
"Boarders !" echoed Mrs Peter Pen
sico. "What for?'
"To turn an honest penny, my DEAR"
said Mr.. Pensico.
"Pshaw!" said Mrs. Pensico.
Times are hard,'; said Mr. Pensico.
But you've got money enough" re-
torted his wife, with a toss of her curly
head
"Svlvia," said Mr.. Pensico, gravely,
"do you know that nobody ever has
money enough?''
NO" SAID Mrs. Pensico, Smelling
away with great vigor at the pan OF
Lima beans in her lap, 81 don't know
anything of the sort
s'Just think how nice it would sound, .
said Mr. Peter Pensico, with his eyes
half closed and his head on one side.
''Select board for few gentlemen, IN q
cottage on the Hudson-fine view-ex-
cellent boating-plenty of shade-millk
and egetables-terms moderate. [
think | see it now in the columns of the
paper
Il thought you rented this cottage to
please me p said Mrs. Pensico, raining
down the emerald shower of Lima
beans at a double-quick rate.
$50 [ did, my dear-so [ did,, re-
piled her husband, But why shouldn't
we please few select boarders, too?
Mr.. Pensico was retired grocer, fat,
and forty" if not fair" Mrs. Pcnsico
had been pretty ward school-teacher,
full twenty years younger than her hus-
band. who had boarded at the small
house with the dealer in nuts, spices,
and moist sugars.
Love is like the whooping cough,
more dangerous disease the older you
grow Mr.. Pensico took it very hard,
so hard, indeed, that he married Sylvia
Smith at the end of a fortnights &C
ouaintance, and took her to live in
pretty little cottage on the Hudson:
You are jewel my DEAR" said
Mr.. Peter Pensico, land | mean to
place you in an appropriate setting.
But as the conhagration of his young
love died into a. more steady and even
flame, Mr.. Pensicos old spirit Of thrift
arose within him Love IN cottage
was all very charming; but the wages
of cook, chambermaid and handy man
counted up amazingly at the end of the
month. A COW grazing IN the meadow
was picturesque, to be sure. but the
feed bills we're something to shudder at.
Sylvia in white muslin was an adorable
object bat it sometimes occurred to
Mr. Pensico's perturbed brain that cali
Goes would have been more economical,
,fo
point In short, Love and Economy
were at daggers drawn in the noble soul
of the ex-grocery man.
"Don't you think it's good idea
my love" persisted Mr. Pensico, brush
ing a fly away from the circular bald
spot on the top of his head.
'No, l don't" said Mrs. Pensico.
But why not?"
IT don't like the idea of keeping a
tavern" retorted the bride.
"My DEAR" said Mr. Pensico, "you
exaggerate. A few select boarders -
"A few select fddlesticks !" interrupt
ed Mrs. Pensico, as she rose up, fling
ing the Lima bean-pods all over the
floor
Mr.. Pensico looked at his wife with a
calm and speculative eye.
'She don't like boarders." pondered
he "And she don't like to submit, as
wife should, to her husbands authori-
tv. Good. I'll enforce both questions,
or I'll know the reason why?"
And Mr. Peter Pensico sat down to
write the advertisement whose glowing
periods had been floating in fragmentary
radiance through his brain for the last
five or ten minutes
81 aoon't take boarders !" said Sylvia.
"My DEAR" said Peter, you will do
ust-pre-cisely-a I think best"
"a woman ought to be proud to have
an opportunity of helping her husband
on in the world" oracularly observed
Mr. Pensico.
II believe the richest people in the
world are always the meanest," said
Sylvania, with jerk of her pretty brown
curls.
Economy, my dear-economyw
said Mr.. Pensico. Take care of the
pence, and the pounds will take care of
themselves A penny saved is a
penny earned Money makes money"
And Mrs. Pensico, fairly overwhelmed
by this cataract of proverbs, ceased her
unavailing circumstances. After all,
what good would they do?"
Poor little Sylvia was beginning to
comprehend that marrying rich old
screw was not the shortest way to per-
feet happiness.
But woman defed becomes woman
dangerous, and Mrs. Peter Pensico
determined that she would not be con-
quered
Four days after the appearance OF
the advertisement which cost so much
time and pains, three young gentlem en-
applied for board.
Mr.. Pensico assumed magisterial
aspect.
Ten dollars a week is my fixed
price" said he, bat as there are three
of you, don't mind saying twenty-five
dollars"
And on these terms Messrs. Smith,
Brown and Jones became possessors OF