Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-08-04
THE NEW BOARDER.

II w dS iiOi lOiS dttti TIC lIstiilOul EOD-
berry that he came. and his coming, Civ
ing us as it did something new to talk
abaut. might have been regarded rs u
blessing. for we had all specuiated and
jurmised and wondered about that rob-
berry until the subject had been worn
threadbare. The story is briefly told.
Miss Cartwright. wealthy lady of ma
ture years. had been at our boarding.
house on visit to her married sister,
much younger than herself. and on 90
ing away had at this sisters request left
her diamonds for the latter to wear at a
charity ball the following week. But
before the ball did come OH it wa, found
that tho diamonds had disappeared. and
thereupoL every sympathetic heart in
the boarding house blel for poor Mrs.
Bronson. the married sister. and began
to give advice to- MIR. Bronson as to tho
best method of recovering the lost Jew
els. Old Mr.. Cartwright came down
from the country, swore q great deal
Othe diamonds were worth S3,0OO). de-
nounced the house rs den of thieves.
and was thereupon ordered out of it by
the indignant landIady. Mrs. Bron-
sons hysterical rawlings had given way
to a gentle melancholy; Mr. Bronson
had said the whole affair was a horrid
nuisance. and he was sick of it; Miss
Molette. our clearinghouse beauty,
had begun to yawn at any mention of
TIE matter, and Mrs. Banks. the land
I.dv. had ceased to make the daily re-
n-ark that such thing had never hap
pened in her house before.
The new boardel was from the coun-
tC. His clothes were country-made,
hs gait was suggestive of the plow
<ss hair had been Cut at home, and
asova all his face had that look of back
woods innocence. that letter of recon-
riendatiOn which Nature writes for the
rustic and which the grown-up gamin
OF the city must needs make his way
without.
"Oh. isn't he darling!' excla lined
Bliss Molette. ttp day after his arrival.
"When went down to dinner yester-
day with my train on and he dropped
his knife and fork to stare at me, l felt
that that was compliment worth hav-
ing"
Now. Lady Clara We're de Vere,"
said MIR. Steele. newspaper man,
"don't 60 to breaking country heart
for pastime after it comes to town. If
that youngster wou d follow my advice
ne would take the back track tomorrow.
II he stays here there will be a number
one plowman spoiled to make very
inferior salesman. to say nothing of the
probable damage to his young affec-
tons"
II gave him that very advice yester-
day evening"" observed MIR. Thornton,
commercial traveller, who sometimes
made short stays at our boarding house.
1.-The fellow came to me after dinner,
and after informing me that he felt
awful lonesome asked humbly if l would
let him talk to me. Blaze away,' said
!, and thereupon he began to give me
his history with that of all his relations
thrown in. He happened to mention
incidentally that he had brought all his
money with him. whereupon I warned
him OF the dangers of town life. telling
him among other things of the diamond
robbery. He took vast amount of in
terest in the diamond affair, and asked
no end of foolish questions However,
when | told him what the Jewels were
worth he grinned. shook his head, and
remarked that ! couldn't fool him with
my big talk, as he knew something
about such things. His cousin Nathan
had bought diamond shirt-pin last time
he was in New York, and it was q
French diamond at that"
ut takes these country folks to know
1t all. > observed Mr.. Steele. IL hope
the fellow won't take to hanging around
me, for l do hate fool"
Poor young man." sighed Miss
Prince, our schoOl-ma' am boarder. "It
Is shame for an innocent creature like
that to come walking into trap as it
were. and be ruined by gamblers and
sharpers.
IL don't know what YOU mean by
such talk" exclaimed Miss Molette
81 am sure there are no gamblers or
sharpors in this house"
1T he will only let whisky alone he
may get along" observed Mr. Thorn
ton before Miss Prince could give one
of her usual meek answers, "but if
the fast men around town find out that
he has money, they will do all they can
10 make him drink. and then the first
thing he knows he will be cleaned out.
! shall give him another hint that he
had better take care how he lets himself
be roped in, but know it will be
throwing words away, as those sort of
fellows never listen to reason"
And so it would seem in the case of
young Billings Cthat was the new board
ers name), who in very few days
after his arrival was seen in very shady
company, indeed. walking arm-in-
arm with one OF Carew's gang" SO
Mr.. Thornton remarked casually to Mr..
steele, land as drunk as coo.."
Poor. misguided creaturer' ex.
claimed Miss Prince.
Get Miss Molette to take him to a
temperance meeting" suggested Mr..
Thornseh. "Hs follows 6sr about In