The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-07-22
THE TIMES, NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA, JULY 22, 1879.

advertisement said TO call between and
o, and II struck as i stood upon the
doorstep"
"Oh, the advertisement So, SO,
Master Rupert This is your doing, is
it2 Will you let me see the advertise
ment, Madamep"
"You have the paper in your hand,
sir" she said, timidly. ~ did not cut
IL out"
Oh, you saw 1t in the paper ~
He turned to the list of houses to let
and there, sure enough, 1t was
ITO let, furnished, three story,
brown, stone front, basement,' and
rather full description of the advan-
tages of the premises with the emphatic
addition, "Call only between 8 and
A. M"
+" So as to be sure am at home, the
rascal ~ said Rupert Smithson, laying
aside the paper. :" L am sorry, Madame,
that you had the trouble of calling upon
useless errand."
"Then it is taken !" said she, in
very disappointed tone, and the heavy
Grape was lifted to show a sweet ma
tronly face framed in the sadest of all
badges, a Widows cap.
well, no." said the perplexed bache-
lor, 1t is not exactly taken"
Perhaps you object to boarders ?"
You want to take boarders Y' he
answered, thinking how ladylike and
gentle she looked, and wondering if she
had been long widow.
"Yes, sir but 1 would be very careful
about the references"
Have you ever kept boarders be-
fore ?"
mo, sir Since my husband died,
six years ago (he failed in business, and
brought on severe illness by mental
anxiety, my daughter and myself have
been sewing, but we have both been in
poor health all winter, and wish to try
some way Of getting living that is less
combining. have kept house several
years, but L have no capital to furnish,
so we want to secure a house furnished
ike thls one III possible"
Quite unconscious of the reason, Ru-
pert Smithson was finding it very pleas
ant to talk to this gentle little widow
about her plans, and, as she spoke, was
wondering if it would not make an
agreeable variety in his lonely life to let
her make an experiment of keeping a
boarding house upon the premises.
Seeing his hesitation, she said earnest
ly.
I" think you will be satisfied with my
references, sir. I have lived in one
house and have had work from one firm
for six years and, if you require it, can
obtain letters from my husband IS friends
in Cincinnati"
Cincinnati!''
" He was quite well known there.
Perhaps you know of him, John Muir
ray, - street ?"
"John Murrayl'
Rupert Smithson looked searchingly
into the pale, sad face that was so plead
ingly raised to his gaze. Where were
the rosy cheeks, the dancing eyes, the
laughing lips that he had pictured as be-
longing to John Murray's wifep Know
ing now the truth, he recognized the
face before him, the youth all gone, and
the expression sanctified by sorrow and
suffering.
"You have children ?" he said, after
long silence.
"Only one living, a daughter II
years old. have buried all the others. {"
81 will let you have the house on one
condition. he said, his lips trembling q
little as he spoke.
She did not answer. In the softened
eyes looking into her own, in the voice
suddenly modulated to tender sweet
ness, some memory was awakened, and
she only listened, with bated breath and
dilating eyes.
"On one condition, Katie" he said,
that you come to it as my wife and its
mistress. have waited for you twenty
years, Katie.''
1t was hard to believe, even then,
though the little woman let him caress
her and sobbed upon his breast. This
gray haired, middle aged man was so
unlike the Rupert she had believed false.
But, after the whole past was discussed,
it was not hard to believe there might
be years of happiness still in store for
them.
Rupert Smithson did not put in an
appearance at the counting house all