The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-11-12
MRS. BRANDT'S BOARDER.
A TOUCHING STORY.

- n hi6 NiSihB Ills iNoh o
forward wearily, and coughing now and
then heavy, hollow cough that told Its
own story.
There were only two houses on the
mesa, stretching shaggy and sombre
with grease-wood from the base of the
mountain to the valley below. Two un-
painted red wood dwellings, with their
clumps Of trailing pepper trees and tat
tered bananas, mere specks of civiliza-
ton against q stern back ground of
mountain side. The traveller halted be-
fore one of them, bowling awkwardly as
the master of the house came out.
Mr.. Brandt, reckon"
Joel Brandt looked keenly into the
strangers face. Not bad face, certain
ly; sallow and drawn with suffering;
one of those hopelessly pathetic faces
barely saved from the grotesque by a
pair of dull wistful eyes.
Not that Joel Brandt saw anything
grotesque or pathetic about the man.
Another sickly-looking stranger out
side, Barbara, wants to try the air up
here. Can you keep him Or maybe
the Foxes'll give him berth"
Mrs. Brandt shook her head in house
wifely meditation.
No, Mrs. Fox can't; that's certain.
She has an asthma and two bronchitises
there now. What is the matter with
him, Joel Y'
The strangers harsh, resonant cough
answered.
Keep him ? 10 be sure. You might
know I'd keep him, Joel. The night
airs no place for man with cough
like that. Bring him into the kitchen
right away"
The new conner spread his bony hands
over Mrs. Brandt's CHEEKY fire, and the
soft, dull eyes followed her movements
wistfully.
" The fire feels kind o. honey ma am;
Californy amt much of place for fires,
it 'pears.
Been long on the coast, stranger ?"
Joel squared himself interrogatively.
Bout week. Pm from Indianny.
Brice's my name-Posey Brice, the boys
in the glass mill called me. was blowed
up in glass mill once" The speaker
turned to show an ugly scar on his neck.
Didn't know where L wuz for weeks
thought hadn't lit. When come to
there wuz Loisy potterin' over me; but
l amt been rugged sence."
" Married ?''
The mans answer broke through the
patient homeliness of his face at once
He fumbled in his pocket silently, like
one who had no common disclosure to
make.
What dye think o. them stranger"
Joel took the little black case in his
hands reverently. A woman's face =
not grand nor fair even some bits of
tawdry finery making its plainness
plainer-and beside it a round-eyed boy
pumped into a high chair, and two lit
tie feet sturdily out in Joel's face.
Mrs. Brandt looked over her hus-
bands shoulder with kindly curiosity.
"The boy favors you amazingly about
the mouth but he's got his mothers
eyes, and they are sharp, knowing eyes,
too. He's a bright one, I'll be bound
Yours, l reckon"
Yes, that's Loisy an the boy"
fighting the conscious pride in his voice
like one who tried to wear honors
meekly.
He took the wel-worn case again ,gaz-
ing into the two faces an instant with
helpless yearning, and returned it to its
place. The very way he handled it was
caress, fastening the little brass hook
with scrupulcus care.
III be sendin' fur 'em when 1 get
red o. this pesterin' cough"
A very quiet, unobtrusive guest Mrs.
Brandt found the man Brice, talking
little save in sudden gush of conf
dence = and always of his wife and
child; choosing quiet corner of the
kitchen in the chill California nights,
where he watched his hostess deft
movements with wistful admiration.
" Try huntin,' Brice the doctors
mostly says it's healthy"
And Brice tried hunting, as Joel ad-
vertised, Taking the gun from its
crotch over the door, after breakfast, ,and
wandering for hours in the yellow wine
like air of the mesa, he came in at noon
and nightfall empty handed, yet no one
derided his failure. There was some
thing about the man that smothered
Oerision