Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-10-10

cousins insisted upon Its being couched
in these very terms, and so was COM
PEELED to yield, inwardly convinced that
it would bring no reply.
But it did. The very afternoon of
the morning it appeared, a carriage with
trunk strapped on behind drove up to
our door. An old gentleman got out.
hobbled up our steps and rang our door
bell.
"You must see him, Dorothea," said
my aunt, leaving the parlor, followed by
train of her children. at is your af-
fair altogether. l will have nothing to
do with it,
"We none of US will have anything to
do with it," chimed in my cousins.
"We were not born with the souls of
lodging-house keepers and away they
sailed as L opened the door to the Sec
ond-a little louder than the frst-ring
of my caller.
He was short, slightly-formed old
gentleman, with big, bright black eyes,
bushy white eyebrows, and long, white
mustache and beard.
"You have room to let ?" he asked.
81 have" I answered, ushering him
into the parIor, where he glanced keenly
around, and then as keenly into my face
while he announced in a decisive tone:
81 have come to take it. My lug
gage is at the door. Be so kind as to
tell me where to direct the man to carry
it."
"But, u began in hesitating way,
utterly confused by the strangers
brusque not to say high-handed manner.
"But me no buts," 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-day, I
have been boarding at the st. Nicholas.
But where's your mother?"
| hastened to assure him that | was
empowered to negotiate with him.
"Ah, indeed Well, then I'll 90 on,
though it strikes me that you are rather
young for the business. You have nev-
er taken lodger before l am glad of
it for reasons which it is not necessary
to explain. You want liberal equiv
alent' for your fine room am prepar-
ed to give it. That leaves only one
thing to be arranged. should like to
have my breakfast at eight precisely ev-
cry morning"
"But we did not propose to give
breakfast
81 know you didn't; but I'll give
you another liberal equivalent for it.
You can't be very well off, or you would
not be taking lodger; and the more
liberal equivalents you can get from him
the better. You will be kind enough to
show me my room p
"Yes, sir" l replied meekly.
"Ah," said our lodger. as he entered
it. "This is not bad-not at all bad"
Al - ruonD,k A., hou eof1 ho
fore. it was the pleasantest room in the
house. and had arranged it as prettily
as I could with the means at my com
mand.
Mr.. Griffin had been our lodger ex
actly two years, during which time
had prepared and superintended th'
serving of his breakfasts, and taken tn,
entire charge of his room, "as we'll a
though had been brought up to tha
sort of thing" as my cousin Cleanth
remarked, and the rest of the family
with the exception of uncle, who becam
quite friendly with him, had only me
him some dozen times-at which tim
they assumed their most digni6ed digni
ty-when he was taken sick.
t "By the bye, who is your family ply
sician ?" | told him.
| "If l am not better, send for him tt
morrow. I am going out-only fe'
steps," meeting my look of surprise. -
t want to see my lawyer, and | shan
D take to my bed for several days yet"
/ That afternoon, taking care not to r,
0 peat the old gentleman's exact word
E but putting his remarks in the form of
/, request to stay, l stated the case to tt
e family.
"Going to be ill ?" exclaimed Alethe
: "Dear me! how disagreeable
"I'm sure l don't want him to stay
: he might die here" said my aunt, wi
J, had the utmost horror of death.
) "He's an old nuisance, anyhow" pr
= claimed Ethel, ''and always has bee
a and | blush that any relative of mil
s should have so far degraded herself
e to become his serving maid"
% "He is not an old nuisance" said
Indignantly. "He is kind-heart,
"a old gentleman, and | am very fond
10 him."
l. "Good gracious !"
n "Yes, Miss Ethel" went on, 81 l
IS peat it. am very fond of him. Aud
my aunt will allow mel am sure n
h uncle will will take all the ext
ID care resulting from his sickness up