Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-05-15
A FEW BOARDERS.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

"My DEAR" said Mr.. Pensico to his
wife, "don't you think it would be a
good idea for us to take few board
ers?"
Boarders?'' echoed Mrs Peter
Pensico. "What for?'
"To turn an honest penny, my dear"
said Mr.. Pensico.
"Pshaw p said Mrs. Pensico.
But you've got money enough" re-
torted his wife. with 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"
''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
a cottage on the Hudson-fine view
excellent boating-plenty of shade
milk and vegetables-terms moderate.
Think I see it now in the columns of
the paper"
II thought you rented this cottage to
please p said Mrs. Pensico, raining
down the emerald shower of lima
beans at double quick rate.
$50 [ did, my dear-so [ did" re-
sponded her husband. "But why
should not We please few select board
ers, too?"
Mr.. Pensico was a retired grocer,
g. 60;
Pensico had been pretty ward school
teacher. fall twenty years younger than
her husband, who had boarded at the
same house with the dealer in nuts,
spices and moist sugars.
Love is like the whooping cough, q
more dangerous disease the older you
grow. Mr.. Pensico took it 7ery hard
so hard. indeed, that he married Sylvia
Smith at the end Of a fortnight's &C
quaintance, and took her to live in a
pretty little cottage on the Hudson.
" You are Jewel, my DEAR" said
Peter Pensico, "and I mean to place
you in an appropriate setting"
But as the confagration of his young
love died into a more steady and uneven
fame, Mr.. Pensico's old spirit of thrift
arose within him. Love in a 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 were something to
shudder at. Sylvia in white muslin
was an adorable object; but it some
times occurred to Mr.. Pensico's per-
turbed mind that calicoes would have
been more economical, viewed from the
laundress' standpoint. 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, brushing
fly away from the circular bald spot
on the top of his head.
"No. don't" said Mrs. Pensico.
"But why not?'
II don't like the idea of keeping a
tavern" retorted the bride.
my dear" said Mr.. Pensieo, "you
exaggerate. 4 few select boarders-'
A few select fddlesticks p inter-
rupted Mrs. Pensico, as she rose up,
finging the lima-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 author-
ity. Good I'll enforce both questions,
or I'll know the reason why p
And Mr.. Peter Pensico sat down to
write the advertiser ent whose glowing
periods had been floating in fragmen-
tary radiance through his brain for the
last five or ten minutes.
suont take boarders," said Sylvia.
My DEAR" said Peter, "you will do
pre-cisely-as I think BEST
well see?' cried out Mrs. Pensico.
"a woman ought to be proud to have
an opportunity of helping her husband
on IN the world" oracularly observed
Mr.. PensicO.
"I believe the richest people in the
world are the meanest," said Sylvia,
with jerk of her pretty brown curls.
Economy, my deuteronomy p
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 oyerwhelm
ed by this cataract of proverbs, ceased
her unavailing circumstances. After
all, what good would they do?
Poor little Sylvia was beginning tc
comprehend that marrying rich ole
screw was not the shortest way to per
feet happiness.
But a woman defed becomes wo