Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-22

venetian blinds, but after time | no.
ticed that the two leh-hand windows, at
one of which the girl was sitting, had,
| in addition. short blinds of some common
kind OF net or muslin, while the two
righ.-hand windows were bare. Then 1t
struck me that the second floor front was
divided into two rooms, with two win
dows to each room. Lenoir being the oc-
cupant of one of them, and the girl who
was sewing of the other.
Twas still busy working out this idea,
when | noticed that small card was sus-
pended in the dining-room window. ]
crossed the road to see what was written
on it. TOP Back Room to Let, Unfur-
nished," were the words saw. My heart
gave throb as read. walked up the
street and down again while | composed
myself. Then knocked. The door was
opened by faded washed-out old wo-
man, whose face looked all nose and chin.
told her wanted to look at the room
tina. was to let, and at her request FOL
lowed her up stairs. Of course the room
suited me. Any room in that house
would have suited me. | agreed at once
to take it, 81 suppose you have several
other dodgers in the house?" | asked.
"Heaps of EN-" was the answer. Then
she told me that the whole of the house
was rented by her husband, who, with
herself, lived in the basement floor. That
the ground was let off to professor OF
music. and the drawing room to pro-
fessor of dancing and his two daughters
On the floor above was "Mounseer Le-
noir," very quiet French gentleman;
and, in the adjoining room, young lady
connected with one of the "theaytres.
Higher still, a young West-end shopman
found accommodation, and at the back was
the room had just taken. When told
the lady that | was an artist by profess
sion, she answered that there were "lots
of 'em" about that neighborhood, but
from her tone gathered that she did not
consider them of much account.
Next day moved few traps into my
domicile, the chief articles being an easel
and bedstead, and tried to make myself
as comfortable as the circumstances OF the
case would permit.
As it was far from my intention to
spend the whole of my time in Winck-
worth street. still retained my own
rooms, visiting them daily. and still
looking upon them as my real home.
But between ten O'Clock and noon next
dav was always at No. 3SA, that is to
say. during the whole time Lenoir was
under the same roof. At the end OF the
week / had seen him twice. Once |
brushed past him on the stairs as | was
going down and he coming up; once |
encountered him at the corner OF the street
| as was on my way to the house. On
neither occasion did he appear to take
| If tho IL thara haI hppn
no such person In existence.
| In my search for any scraps of infor-
nation that might prove useful to me. ]
made 1t my business to ingratiate myself
with my landlady and her husband. The
latter was a man between sixty and
seventy. He had been soldier at
one time. and after that gentle
mans servant, and had Travelled much n
early life. He was a great smoker, and
fond of ''crack' with any one who
would talk with him. So one or two
evenings a week | made point OF de-
scending to the basement and smoking IA
pipe with the old fellow. On these occa-
sions heard the history OF all his dodgers
rs far as they were known to him, al
though it was about one man only that
cared to hear. But of Lenoir he could tell
me very little more than had been told
by Smith. In the eyes of the old man
and his wife the Frenchman was a model
ledger. He gave no trouble. kept regu-
lar hours, had no visitors, and was always
ready with his rent.
But the young lady who was connected
with the "theaytre' was not always ready
with her rent She had been out of an
engagement for considerable time, and
her means were nearly exhausted. She
had paid no rent for six weeks. The old
man and his wife were 10th to turn the
girl out of her room, but all they same
they wanted their money.
| Continued tomorrow