The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 18??-1882, 1881-09-02
oarders returned with the June roses,

Oarders returned with the June roses
md dropped away again with the fall
, ing leaves, and still Mrs. Clement stay
ed on and on. Just now she had. beel
some weeks i'm arrears with her reduc
ed board. No money had been forth
coming for some time, and she wa.
more oeble daily, needed the luxurie.
of an valid and the attention of I
nurse, 10Th of which Della bestowed
upon her, without taking thought fol
the morrow.
81 must hear from my man-of-busi
ness tomorrow, Della; I'm knee-deeE
in debt to you," she began one night
"Don't mention itr' cried Della. "Id
rather never see a cent of it than have
yeu take it to heart. You are welcome
to stay and share pot-luck with us
you are such company for mother and
me-"
Thank you, my dear. I've grown as
fond of you as if you were my own
flesh and blood. There, turn down the
light, please. Draw the curtain. dear,
and put another stick on the fire. please.
1t grows chilly, doesn't it? You might
kiss nae just once,if you wouldn't mind.
It's Il hundred years or so since any one
kissed me-"
And the next morning, when Della
carried up Mrs. Clements breakfast, her
boarder lay cold and still upon the pill
lows.
The. first shock over, Della wrote to
the lawyer of whom she had heard
Mrs. Clement speak as having charge
of her affairs, begging him to notify
that lady's relatives,if she had any. In
reply Mr.. Willis wrote: "The late
Mrs. Clement appears to have no near
relatives. Some distant cousins, who
have an abundance of this worlds
goods, yet serve her shabby when she
tested their generosity, as she has tried
yours, are all that remain of herfami-
ly. In the meantime l enclose yonaa
copy of her last will and testament, to
peruse at your LEISURE
What interest does he think l take
in Mrs. Clements WILL thought Della
but read, nevertheless:
| "Being of sound mind, this 10th day
Of June, 1S-, l, Della ROgersOn Gle
ment, do hereby leave one hundred dol
lars to each of my cousins; and l be-
queath the residue of my property
viz, thirty thousand dollars invested
in the Ingot Mining Company, fifty
thousand dollars in United States
bonds, twenty thousand in Fortune
Flannel Mills, and my jewels, to the
beloved niece of my first husband, John
Rogerson, Della Rogerssn, of Crofts-
borough, Maine.
For l was stranger, and ye took
me in, hungry, and ye fed me, sick,
and we ministered unto me-"
Goodness alive!" cried the neigh
bors, when the facts reached their
ears. "What a profitable thing it is to
take boarders! Everybody in town
will be trying it. OF course Steve
Langdon will come and marry her, if
she were forty old maids. You may
stick pin in therev'
Della did not open her house to
bOarders the next season. She found
enough to do in looking after her mon
ey and spending itj in replying to let
ters from INDECENT people; who seemed
to increase alarmingly; in receiving
old friends, who suddenly found time
to remember her existence. And, sure
enough, among the rest appeared Steve
Langdon, and all the village said, 81
| told you So"
It's not my fault that you and l are
single yet, Delia,' he said.
And we are too old to think of it
now, Steve
Nonsense It's never too late to
mend. I'm not rich Della, but I've
enough for two and to spare
Il wouldn't be contented not to drive
in my carriage and have servants under
me now, laughed Della.
Indeedl Then perhaps you have a
better match in view. Captain Sey-
mour asked me, by the way. if l had
come to interfere with Squire Jones
interest,"
Yes. Squire Jones proposed to me
last week.
Now, see here, Della. Have ] come
all the way from Melbourne on a fool S
errand? There l was growing used to
my misery and loneliness, when the
mail brings in letter i'm Il strange
hand, which tells me that my dear
love, Della ROgerson, loves and dreams
of me still, is poor and alone, and needs
meme! And the letter is signed by
her aunt, Mrs. Clement, who ought to
know. i packed my household goods
and came
Pm glad that you did,
In order that ] may congratulate
Squire Jones?
But l haven't accepted him. In
fact I've refused him because
Because you will marry your old
love, like the lass in the song Delia?'
In Croftsborough people are not YET
| tired of telling how woman made
money by taking boarders.-Indepe,a
dent.
TIE CoLDEsT SPOT ON EARTH.-I
is in Siberia, and its name is WerkhO