The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-10-16
OUR BOARDER.


OUR BOARDER.
WHEN Miss Dehone came to our house
to stay. it was well understood that if we
We're to her liking, she was to remain
with us for the rest of her days. And
rs we thought that the payment of her
board would be quite an item in our lit.
tie housekeeping, we were resolved
that, of course, we would be to her lik-
ing. Moreover. Miss Dchone was dis
tant-indeed, very distant-connec-
ton: mammals great-aunt's second
cousin by marriage, or something of the
sort. And distant as that was. we were
the nearest and only connections she
had in the world. so that am ashamed
to acknowledge that we were so poor
rs to be obliged to encourage mercen-
AIRY thought in the matter-so that we
might possibly come in for something
by her will, if she decided not to leave
all and everything to the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Cats, rs
she had once formally declared her in
tention to do.
Sarah did not look on the innovation
favorably. Sarah was our beauty of
beauties-l wish you could have seen
her in those days-dark and tall and
straight as an Arab, with such carna-
ton on her olive cheek. and such blue
black hair. and eyes like midnight and
stars. lust as different from Emma as
dark from dawn: for En- was all fair
and rosy and dimpled and yellow
haired. while Kate was gray-eyed,
black-lashcd and pale. As for me. l
was always little dud; but l was
mighty useful.
Well, Sarah said she had rather go
without everything forever than intro
duce stranger-and such a stranger
among us, and En- seconded her. EN-
didn't say it. but she was pretty sure it
would interfere with her beauX to have
an old lady always sitting round, with
her blanket-shawls and foot-stoves and
big tabby cats on each side of her, to be
waited on every minute or two, or else
to give you heartless appearance; and
it was well known that Miss Dehone had
the greatest contempt for the young
men of to-day. who had deteriorated SO
sadly since her time. But Kate and l
persuaded mamma to our side, and that
made majority, and Miss Dehone
came. And she UdS an old woman,
with blanket-shawls, and soap-stOnes,
and rubber bags of hot water, and ter
rible attacks of collie, and a lap-dog, and
a parrot, and pair of canaries, and a
family of Persian cats; and for the rest,
the most inquisitive little body, with
her sharp black eyes peering from all her
wraps and caps and strings and things
like mouse from a bundle of rags.
And, to Sarah's CONSERVATION, she
singled her out for the royal favor al
once. "You have the Dehone eye, my
love-" she said, with series of queer
little mods; 81 looked just like you at
Your age" And Sarah said afterward,
with asperity, that if she was going to
look just like her at her age, she wished
she might die now!
Just think how horrid it will be
when Arnold comes" said Sarah to me.
There she is perched with her pets in
the corner, and there she always will
be, with those dreadful eyes of hers,
too. Dehone eyes, indeed! And she
will be asking all sorts of hateful ques-
tions-she'll be asking him his inten-
tons, for all l know
Asking Arnold Parnell his intentions
Sarah guessed that mamma had been
on the point of it any time this twelve.
month for mamma held her husband s
girls to be serious responsibility, and
here had Arnold been, as she would
have said if she had put it into words,
in the way of Sarah's making an eligi.
BILE settlement all this year and more.
Mamma is cheeky beg her dear old
naughty pardon, she calls it her habit
of self respect -but somehow, like
grandfather clock" she always stop
ped "short" of asking Arnold any
questions that she could not have asked
Prince of the blood royal and if any
body ever looked like a Prince of the
blood royal it was Arnold Parnell. Thai
he was madly in love with Sarah there
wasn't the least doubt in my mind, and
doubt if there was any doubt in Sa
rah's, although I dare say that abou,
some things one is hardly quite sure
till the articles are signed and sealed
But she was such proud and stately
piece that she would have died sooner
than have given him, or anybody blu
me-nobody ever minded me much
one sign concerning her feelings; ant
all we exactly knew was that if youn,
DIR. Parnell had given us good chance
we, at least, should have been equall
madly in love with him. But then Sa
rah wasn't like the rest of us, and ha'
never said as much as this about hin
before.
"Oh, no." I answered her on this oc
casion, "she won't 90 out of her wa,
to make herself disagreeable."
"She won't have to-" said EN-, com
ing in with Kate, and overhearing me
"1t is just going to destroy our hom
having that woman here. She'll hay
the best chair, the best corner, the hes
morsel, the best room and the bes
manners all the time. There'n neve
be bit of freedom, we must speal
with bated breath we don't know no,
she'll like this or take that she's stric
and we're liberal she likes lot q
people we hate well have to mine
our words and pare our speech she'
want haricot when we want roast sh
will want hot bread when we want colo
we'll hate pies and she'll hate pud
dings; she'll want breakfast at day
break and dinner at noon-and OF
dear! dearr'
And she did. All these things cam
true. Miss Dehone naturally had th