The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-03-26
OUR QUEER LODGER.

WE kept little variety shop, sister
Margie and 1, the profit of which was
quite as small as the wares we sold.
But then we had no rent to pay; own
ing the brown, old-fashioned house in
which we lived, and which looked
strangely out of place among the state
Unlocking modern dwellings that crowd
ed up against it on either side, quite
putting it out of countenance by their
superior height and appearance.
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 low
and modern as his own. He owned a
large farm, and was considered a
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
1, as you will see.
l hardly think we should have dared
to do such a 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 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 great care to me for many a
year, but never burden. She was so
thoughtful, patient and cheerful, that in
the event of our separation think l
should have missed her quite as 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, nit
tens 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 a
little.
Margie kept all the accounts, too;
having clearer head than l, and a
acter that was wonderful, considering
how secluded her life had of necessity
been. l never thought of taking any
step without consulting Margie.
We two lived very quietly, having few
acquaintance and no near relative or
friend-except John. John was nv
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 not-I can
not 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 was
eighteen was twenty-three now-and
no nearer to being married, as I could
see, than we were five years before.
But still we loved on and hoped on.
John had a widowed and infirm mother,
and Margie; and though she was any
thing but burdensome to me, 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 decided to exc
out our slender income by renting the
room over the shop. 1t was low, and
the slant of the roof on one side and bic
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 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 witt
white, some pretty prints hung upon the
wall; and on the whole was very wei
satisfied with the result of our labor.
When all was done, John wrote no
tice: 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
aud we had only two applications for tn,
room, and from persons who only looked
at it, and then went away.
One morning. as / was dusting tn
counter and putting the shop to rights
saw queer-looking, oddly dressed oil
. man standing in front of the window
his eyes fixed upon the notice in it, ant
his moving lips slowly syllabifying eacl
word. He wore shoes with big buckle
on them, and a snuff-colored coat, wit
short waist and long skirts, and whic
looked as if it might have been hi
grandfather's, But the oldest thin
about him was the long white hair whic
fell upon his shoulders and the heav
beard of the same color which touche
his breast. A broad-brimmed hat CON