The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-27
THE ORPHANS FRIEND.


ing the small, brown, old-fashioned
house in which we lived, and which
looked strangely out of place among
the stately-looking modern dwellings
that crowded up against it on either
side, quite putting it out of countenance
by their superior height and appear
ance.
Grandfather built it when the place
was new and he a young man, and
when all that brick and mortar were
verdant fields and well-kept gardens,
dotted here and there by houses as few
and modest as his own.
He owned large farm, and was con-
sidered wealthy man for those days;
but acre after acre had been sold until
nothing was left except the house in
which my father had been born, and
which was the only Inheritance of his
children. But we made the most of it,
Margie and I, as you viii see.
hardly think we should have dared
to do such thing while father lived,
who would have considered it sort of
sacrilege; but soon after his death we
turned the front part of the house into
a shop, with show-windows, which
opened out upon the street, in which
to display the articles we kept for sale.
This was a matter of necessity rather
than choice, it being all that could do
at home; and could not leave Margie.
Poor Margie was a cripple; she had re-
ceived fall when only four years old,
and had never walked since.
She had been a great care to me for
many year, but never burden. She
was SO thoughtful, patient. and cheer
full that, in the event of our separation,
7 \
much as she would me.
She was very useful, too; lying all
day on the lounge in our little sitting
room, her hands were never idle,
crocheting tides, mats, mittens, and
edging, and doing various kinds of
fancy-work, for which found sale in
the shop, and though the price asked
was only moderately in excess OF the
cost of material, it helped US not little.
Margie kept all the accounts, and
having clearer head than I, and 4
knowledge, or rather intuition, of char
acter that was wonderful, considering
how secluded her life had been, never
thought of taking any step without
consulting Margie.
We lived very quietly, having few
acquaintance, and no near friend or
relatiVe-except John.
John was my lover, and no girl ever
had one more kind and true. He was
poor in worldly goods, but oh! SO rich
in goodness and manly worth.
He might have seemed plain to those
who knew him mott cannot tell how
he looked to other eyes-but there was
more than beauty to me in that frank
honest face, and in the big brown
hands that were SO strong and helpful.
We had been engaged ever since I
was eighteen-I was twenty-three now
and no nearer to being married, as
could see, than we were five years be-
fore. But still we loved and hoped on.
John had y widowed and infirm moth
er, and / Margie; and though she was
anything but burdensome to me, 1
could not think of adding any further
weight to the hands that were full
enough already.
Trade not being very brisk during
the summer, Margie and l decided to
exc out our slender income by letting
the room over the shop. 1t was low,
and the slant of the roof on one side
and big chimney made it full of queer
hooks and corners. The furniture was
old, being some that grandfather had
when he was married but with the
help of John, who could spare me an
hour or two in the evenings, furnished
it up so that it looked very well.
By dint of piecing and contriving,
covered the floor with neat carpet,
the bed and windows were draped with
white, and some pretty prints hung up
on the wall, and on the whole / was
very well satisfied with the result of
our labor.
When all was done, John wrote a
notice: Groom to let; Inquire within"
But though / placed it in the shop win
dow, where it could be plainly seen
from the street, nearly three weeks
passed, and we had only two appli-
cants for the room, and from persons
who only looked at it, and then went
away.
One morning, as / was busting the
counter and putting the shop to rights,
I saw queer-looking, oddly-dressed
old man standing in front of the win
dow, his eyes fixed upon the notice.
and his moving lips slowly syllabifying
each word.
He wore shoes with big buckles on
them, and snuf-colored coat, with
short waist and long skirts, and which
looked as if it might have been his
grandfather's
But the oldest thing about MN was
the long white hair which fell upon his
shoulders, and the heavy beard of the
same color which touched his breast.
A broad brimmed hat completed his
quaint; Quaker-like appearance.
The door being ajar, before had
time to lay aside my buster, he was at
the counter.
He stared at me for some moments
without speaking, and then pointing to
the notice with his cane, said:
s.Will thee let me look at itP''
Inwardly hoping that this application
would not share the fate of these that
had preceded it, / led the way upstairs.
To my great relief, our prospective
ledger, far from objecting TO the slop-
ing roof and old-fashioned furniture,
seemed to regard them with positive
feelings of interest and admiration.
ut is like the chamber I used to
sleep in when I was boy" he said, as
he looked around, and speaking more
TO himself than me.
As / wanted Margie to see him be-
fore / decided, took him down through
the sitting-room where she lay.
This gentleman thinks of taking
ON. room, eista,- - said 40 che rrlaucor