Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-05-15
Misrrll RI
The Queer Little Man.

Court. Let me- be sure. where's The let
ter: Here il i Ia my coat pocket OF course: !:
uoN for = gasii.hi. Yes ~.
This queer little mau folded the letter a.
be poke. replaced il la hl, pocket, aud
knocked at the door OF PSI. IL was amer
dark on du!i evening In November. but
the eAsiIehi. under " hose friendly glare
the letter had been consulted. -houe upon
The figure row standing ;, the door. and
showed hlm 10 be very odd n.urc indeed
III. head wAs 50 IaAuy s4Z-- too large. Tor
his body that u made hlm look top heavy,
ard this effect WAS certainly not dImini.h.d
bv the fact ihst he wore his hair long and
thcA and curling, and beard that fell al
most 10 his ~s4st- lIIs clothes 9rTc coarse,
ana li.-made. bat NArin. AID ln good re-
pair. His slight iigure. small haad- aud
feet. and qulCA movements made the great
head aud WIDE 5fmmcd hat almost gro
tesque Ig their -prupurtioua,e slLe. Get
ting impatient. he gave a second knock II
the door ri the small house. aud thi. time
80 lon. and iou thl; the door Jew open
before he had taken his hand from the
kn"cAer- A lHtle girl ~ cd In the entry.
cycins him with All expression that seemed
TO argue debate IN toe mind wneiher To
fenaiu aud let the VISITOR come in. or TO
shut the door aud run away.
~ on take good while - come To the
door. Wa'am.' he said. aud ~ once decided
the question IH the MUD ot tue HliIc girI
4 voice and q smile Ike tha; could never
belong 10 a orue! ogre who ale up ltiile
2ifi> without -a!' or pepper, however b'2
hl. head
'bp You want 20 see Aun, Henrietta e.
who iS Aunt ileuriettaE'
"M..- Mosely. The lady who keeps the
house and lets us board here
"oh' Yes. | want to see her"
"Ii YOU viii walk in the parlor she'll be
in presently; she's gone to market = ard a
musical little gleefnl laugh followed this
announcement.
Gone TO mafket!r
Yes, and Cora's gone too - here the de-
light could no longer be suppressed.
"Ihey've gone to buy turkey for 10 NOR
row, and I'm taxing care OF the house and
EDDY till they come bacA."
Gone 10 buy u turkey for ;o-morTow p
les, lis Thank giving, you know We
are going 70 have treat. Aunt Henrietta
promised week ago, and she never for
gets. h.ercT
"Nhe must be famous Aunt"
w ell, and here the little girl came
close 10 her odd visitor and took a seat be
side him on the sofa. she ain'i our own
aunt. really, you know not our very. very
own. But she's just as good TO Cora and
Eddy and me-
who is Cora?"
Cora is my grown up sister: she's ever
so old. almost nineteen, IN ten, aud Eddy
is two and half Cora gives music les
sons. and she Is out almost all day, and
Aunt Henrietta makes flowers, and help
her. Eddy plays.
, Bot where are your papa aud mammal:
Papa died when Eddy was a wee baby,
and We came here then TO board with Mis-,
Aosely. Mamma sewed all day. and Cora
practised. Then mamma died too, bat
Aunt Henrietta said We must stay and man
| age the board somehow, for she wonld not
let Cora go away TO take care of US all
alone. You see this amt a very good
house for boarders, and the front room has
been empty long time
Then Miss Mosely takes boarders1"
"Yes indeed. We have the third story
front. and Miss Manners, she goes out
nursing, and amt here much, she has the
third story back; Aunt Henrietta sleeps
down here In the back parlor, so there s
nobody at all in the second story. That
was the reason Aunt Henrietta sent away
the servants and makes flowers for the
milliner's stores. Ii takes so much none v
to feed US all, and buy our dresses and
boots"
Bat. my dear child. have you no uncles
or aunts. nobody TO keep sister Coraf'
mo, Uncle James Reed is In California,
and OF course he can't come. Cora wrote
10 him, but guess he didn't get the letter.
Anyhow he didn't answer it,
Did you ever see bim:''
mo indeedl He went away when Cora
hah md kpt be
often sent money in letter TO mamma"
knock at the door interrupted her.
There they comei III tell Aunt Hen
rietta you are here" and away she ran. and
was ia another moment heard making anx-
ious inquiries regarding the size aud tend
erHess of the turkey.
lady's voice answered her.
There's a gentleman wants to see you,
auntie," said the child. 'I'll help Cora
take the basket to the kitchen
Miss Mosely at once went to the parlor
and her odd looking visitor rose to meet
her. II he had expected to see an angular,
hsrd-featured maiden lady. soured by dis
appointment and hardened BY the ha rd life
OF iandlady in a small boarding house, be
must have been agreeably surprised. The
little lady who so cOurteously greeted him
vas slight aud delicate in figure, with the
oi faces. soit eyes. anu
waving brown hair. Her neat dress suited
her face aud age, some thirty-fve years
and her low-toued, clear voice was like
pleasant music.
Good EVENING" said the queer little
| mar, Il understand you have some vacant
rooms for boarders. l want a whole nooI
| If you can accommodate me. bedroom
| aud sitting room. want my dinner in the
middle of the day, and I'm so used to ny
own way that must have it. no mattel
what it costs but I'm willing to pay for it
l shall keep your servant running up ant
| down all the time I'm in the house, 81
| please have one that has plenty of life ant
| activity Can have the rooms. ma'am 2
| The landiady WAS so taken by surpris,
| by the appearance and rapid speech of he
J visitor, that she scarcely knew how to re