Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-08-11
/ hastenod to assure him that I was

hastenod to assure him that L was
empowered to negotiate with him.
"Ah, indeed Well, then, I'll go on,
though it strikes me that you are rather
young for the business. You have never
taken lodger before I am glad oi
it, for reasons which is not necessary to
explain. You want liberal equiva.
lent for your fine room; am prepared
to give it. That leaves only one thing
to be arranged. should like my break
fast at eight precisely every morning."
"But we did not propose to give
breakfast.
ST know you didn't; but I'll give you
another liberal equivalent for it. You
can't be very we'll of, or you wouldn't
take a lodger; and the more liberal
equivalents you can get from him the
better. Will you be kind enough to
show me to my roomw
"Yes, sir" replied, meekly, COM
pletely succ1mbing to the big black
eyes and strong will-power of the frail-
looking old man, and totally forgetting
to ask for the reference insisted upon
in the advertisement Whereupon he
stepped to the front door, and beckoned
to the man outside, who, taking the
trunk upon his back, followed him, as
he followed me, to the second story front
room.
"Ah," said our lodger, as he entered
it, "this is not bad-not at all bad"
And it wasn't. AS have said before,
it was the pleasantest room in the
house, and I had arranged 1t as prettily
as / could with the means at my COM
mand. Fortunately these included a
number of nice engravings and vases,
and capacious bamboo chair with a
crimson cushion, and foot-stool of like
color. And the fragrance of the honey
suckles that stole in at the window from
the balcony, and the two or three sun
beams that had found their way through
the half closed blinds, and danced in
triumph on the wall, and the half-dozen
gayly bound books (mine) on the mantel,
and the ivy growing from a red pot on
the bracket in one corner, all combined
to make the room pleasant place in
deed.
Mr.. Griffin had been our lodger ex-
actly two years, during which I had
prepared and superintended the serving
of his breakfasts, and taken entire
charge of his room, "as well as though
had been brought up to that sort of
thing" as my cousin Cleanthe remarked,
and the rest of the family, with the ex-
ception of uncle, who became quite
friendly with him, had only met him
some dozen times at which times they
assumed their most dignifed dignity
when he was taken sick.
It's an old complaint which will
carry me OFF some time," said he to me;
"but l hope not this time. Anyhow,
Little Honesty" IA name he had given
me from the frst-I hope deserved it),
"live or die, intend to remain here.
Nowhere else could be as comfortable
You must engage an extra servant, and
you and she together must nurse me.
[ should certainly die of professional.
By-the-bye, who is your family physi-
clan ?'
told him.
- f e I I am not better send for him to-
morrow. I am going out now-only q
few steps, meeting my look Of surprise.
81 want to see my lawyer, and l shan't
take to my bed fer several days yet"
That afternoon, taking care not to re-
peat the old gentleman's exact words,
but putting his remarks in the form OF
request to be allowed to remain,
stated the case to the family.
"Going to be ill 2" exclaimed Alethea.
"Dear me how disagreeablel'
"Im sure don't want him to stay:
he might die here" said my aunt, who
had the utmost horror of death.
"He's an old nuisance, anyhow" pro-
claimed Ethel, "and always has been,
and blush that any relative of mine
should have degraded herself 50 far as
to become his servant-maid."
Here will mention that my cousin
Roland, a month or so before this, had
married a young lady with large for
tune, and out of this fortune he gener-
ously proposed to make the family a
liberal yearly allowance, besides which
came many gifts from the married sis
ters. whose husbands had prospered,
and thereupon been obliged by their
wives to share their prosperity with US,
that we might live at least, as Minerva
expressed it, "with elegant economy. y
And SO we were not entirely dependent
upon our lodger for desserts and sew
eral other things.
But to go back. "He is not an old
nuisance" said I, Indignantly. "He is
kind-hearted old man, and I'm very
fond of him."
"Good gracious r
eyes, Miss Ethel" I went on, "I
am very fond of him. And if my aunt
will allow mel am sure nv uncle will
IL will take all the extra care resulting
from his sickness upon myself, and no
one else shall be annoyed in the
least After living beneath our root
for two years and contributing SO boun-
tifully to our comforts-you needn't
glare at me, Oleanthe; he has, for am
quite certain no one else would have
paid us SO Hberal1y-it would be the
basest ingratitude, not to say cruelty,
to send him among strangers now that
he most needs care and kindness
care you quite through, Miss Rey-
nolds" asked my aunt, sarcastically.
81 had no idea you were SO eloquent,
never having heard you preach before.
But of one thing am determined: YOU
shall not call in our doctor to your
patient. He is perfect aristocrat,
and has no idea we keep lodger, and
do not wish him-to know it,
There's young saw-bones few
doors below" drawled my youngest
gentleman cousin, who resented my
waiting upon any one but himself
she'll do for your fine old nuisance" !"
That very evening Mr. Griffin had a
bad turn, and sent for the "young
saw-bones few doors below" in great
haste. He proved to be DR.. Rice, 8
frank-looking, brown-haired, gray-eyed,
broad-browed young man, with gentle
voice and quick, light step. And the
old gentleman, taking great fancy tc
him, decided on retaining him--a deci
sion that relieved me greatly, bearing
in mind as I did my aunt's embargo il
regard to oI7r family nhvsician