The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-18

$500 SN'eAS R'Ss'y Piihpo up
on the wall, and on the whole | was
very well satisfied with the result of
our labor.
When all was done, John wrote
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,
| saw a 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 q snuff-colored coat, with
short waist and long skirts, and which
looked as il it might have been his
grandfather's.
But the oldest thing about him 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 duster, he was at
the counter.
He stared at me for some moments
without speaking, and then pointing to
the notice with his cane, said:
"Will thee let me look at itP"
lnwardly hoping that this application
would not share the fate of those that
had preceded it, led the way upstairs.
To my great relief, our prospective
ledger, far from Directing 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 | used to
sleep in when 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
our room, sister," said as she glanced
up at us.
"If within my MEANS" interposed
the stranger. "a am poor man."
Margie's clear, soft, penetrating
eyes were quietly reading the face OF
the speaker. What she saw seemed
satisfactory, for she nodded in reply TO
my questioning Look.
In spite of his threadbare apparel, he
looked so thoroughly respectable that
was half ashamed of the question l was
compelled TO put;
al suppose you have references, sir?"
"No; all are dead who might speak
for me il they could. You will have to
take me on trust
looked at Margie again. who, CIV
ing me another nod. said:
Perhaps the gentleman will mention
what he feels able TO payp"
The stranger did so, adding:
81 am poor and cannot pay one PEN
ny more"
The sum named, though not large,
was more than what we were intending
to ask, as told him.
The old man frowned and shook his
head.
"Thee shouldn't have told me that.
have half mind TO give thee no
more"
Then counting out upon the table
the amount he had stated, he pushed it
toward me, adding:
my name is Thomas. | will be
here tomorrow morning with all my
traps"
The traps mentioned consisted of an
old-fashioned hair-trunk, and large
chest, the latter being mainly filled
with books.
We were not long in finding out that
our ledger was very odd, though his
oddities were of the most innocent and
harmless nature.
He asked me 10 substitute Il patch
work quilt for the white counterpane
on his bed; and spent whole day rum
aging auction rooms to find some old
fashioned chintz to take the place of
the pretty muslin curtains on which
had spent so much time and labor |
had taken rocker for him from the
sitting-room, but spying, one day, an
old leather bottomed chair that had be-
longed to my grandfather, he asked me
TO exchange with him, which | was
very glad to do.
Not long after, chest of drawers,
that was my grandfather's, found its
way back to its old place, together with
the quaint brass-mouuted mirror that
always hung over it.
So that, at last, the room looked very
much as II did before we re-arranged il
with so much care and labor.
John and had quiet laugh over it,
but so long as it suited its present oc-
cupant, we did not mind.
II was Margie who first suggested
that we invite him TO take tea with us
one day, when we had some unusual
delicacy--early Strawberries, I think
HE must DO very lonely, poor man.
said my gentle-hearted sister. "Pcr
haps he doesn't have enough to eatl
He spoke about being poor, you know
After this, he dropped in occasional
ly in the evening, bringing some new
magazine or paper, and reading to III
as we sat at work. Finally, it became
an established custom with him to tax,
tea with us twice. and sometimes three
times a week; frequently inviting him
self, though we always knew he wa
coming BY the advent Of the market
boy with a liberal supply of provisions