The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-08-13

Idce, Wnlle he duHounCeu III ueclSlh =
| tone:
81 have come to take it. NY luggage
IS at the door, Be so kind as to tell me
where to direct the man to carry it,"
'@But"-I began, in hesitating way,
utterly confused by the strangers
brusque, not TO say high-handed man
ner.
"' But me no butts" quoted the old
gentleman. 81 am Amos Griffin, lately
from England, where [ have been living
for the last twenty years. Since [ land
ed In New York, month ago to-Gay, |
have been boarding at the st. Nicholas.
Bnt where's your mother p
L fastened to assure him that / 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 ledger before | am glad
of it, for reasons which it is not neces-
sary to explain. You want liberal
equivalent for your fine room; [ am
prepared to give it. That leaves only
one thing to be arranged. | should like
my breakfast at 8 precisely every morn
ing"
"But we do not propose to give break
fast
Il know you didn't; but I'll give you
another liberal equivalent for it. You
can't be very well off, OF you wouldn't
take lodger; and the more liberal
equivalents you can get from him, the
better. Will you be kind enough to
show me to my room %
eyes, Sir" / replied, meekly COM
pletely succumbing to the big black
eyes and strong will-power of the frail-
looking old man, and totally forgetting
to ask for the references" insisted up
on IN the advertisement. Whereupon
he stepped to the front door, and becl1on-
ed 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
the room, "this is not bad-not at all
bad. a"
And it wasn't As | have said before,
1t was the pleasantest room in the house,
and | had arranged it as prettily as /
could with the means at my command.
Fortunately, these included number of
nice engravings and vases, and capa-
clOus bamboo chair with a crimson cush-
Jon, and footstool of like color. Andthe
fragrance of the honeysuckles that stole
IN at the window from the balcony. and
the two or three sunbeams that found
their way through the half closed blinds.
and danced IN triumph on the walls, and
the half-dozen gayly- bound books (mine)
on the mantle, and the ivy growing from
a red pot on the bracket in one corner.
all combined to bake the room a pleas
ant place; indeed.
Mr.. Griffin had been our ledger ex-
actly two years, during which had pre-
pared 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"
rs my cousin Cleanthe remarked. and
the rest of the family with the exception
OF uncle, who became quite friendly with
him, had only met him some dozen
times-at which time they assumed their
most dignifed dignity-when he was
taken sick.
cts an old complaint, which will
carry me off some time, said he to me;
"but | hope not this time. Anyhow,
little Honesty" Ga name he had given
me from the frst-I hope [ dese1ved),
4" live or die, L 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-by, who is your family physi-
elan"
[ told him.
eff [ am not better send for him to-
morrow. [ am going out-only a few
steps" meeting my look OF surprise. 81
want to see my lawyer, and l shan't take
to my bed for 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 a
request to be allowed to remain, stated
the case to the family.
Going to be i'll ?" exclaimed Alethea.
"Dear me how disasreeable %
IA sure | don't want him to stay;
he might die here" said my aunt. who
had the utmc st horror of death.
" He's an old nuisance, anyhow, pro-
claimed Ethel, "and always has been.
and l blush that any relative of mine
should have degraded herself so far as to
become her servant-maid.
Here ! will mention that my cousin
Roland, month or so before this, had
married young lady with large for
tune, and out of this fortune he gener-
OuSly proposed to make the family O
liberal yearly allowance. besides which
came many gifts from the married sis
tiers, whose husbands had prospered,
and thereupon been obliged to share
their prosperity with us, that we might
live at least, as Minerva expressed it,
with elegant economy" And SO we
were not entirely dependent upon our
lodger for desserts and several other
things.
But to go back. "He is not an old
nuisance" said 1, Indignantly. "He is
kind-hearted old man, and I'm very
fond of him.
" Good gracious -
Eyes, Miss Ethel" l went on, 81 re-
peat it, | am very fond of him. And if
my aunt viii allow mel am sure my
uncle Wilt 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 roof for
two years, and contributing so bounti-
fully for our comforts-you needn't
glare at me, Cleanthe; he has, for / am
quite certain no one else would have
paid us so hberally-it would be the
basest ingratitude, not to say cruelty, to
send him among strangers now that he
! most needs care and kindness"
Are you quite through, Miss Rey-
nolds {" asked my aunt, sarcasticallv.
4" 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 pa