The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-03-24
MRS. sNAPWELL's BOARDaR.

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Place a-being sold?" inquired Mrs. Spar
rowgi ass, who was spending the day
with the Widow Snapwell.
1.-The Buttonwood Place? No! Wal,
that is news Who bought it?" queried
basted frill of Spanish lace in she neck
of her new polonaise.
Why, man named Flowerdale. they
say And he's a-goin' to repair it up,
Nathan Scudderse's wife SAYS. Must be
awful rich if he does, for the old house
is putty we'll run down. IT'S a good
farm, though. Mr.. Sparrowgrass thinks
it's the best one in the hull Big River
Bottom. !"
The new purchase furnished snffi-
cient subject of conversation till supper
was over, and Mrs. Sparrowgrass had
| rolled up her knitting, donned her shawl
and worsted hood, and taken her depar-
ture. with many injunctions from her
Ehostess to be sure and ''come back
again" After which, Mrs. Snapweli fell
| into brown study over the new polo
| naise, while her pretty niece Eustachia
gathered up the tea-things, and gave Sy
Hodges, the hired man, his supper in the
kitchen.
| "Put away them crulls and the black
berry-jei first," commanded the widow.
"Sogrum merlasses and gingercake is
| good enough for hired handl'
| Eyes, it must be him that put in the
| advertisement for country board" she
pondered going back toher sewing. ''Tt's
| the very same name-Flowerdale-
he wants to git board som 'ers in the Big
River Bottom. Of course, it's him.
"a bachelor, the advertisement says.
Probbly forty-fve or fifty years old
| Wal, I'm on the shady side of thirty
myself, and think I'll answer it. It's
about the only chance for a lone woman
Ike me to earn an honest penny, she
added, her gray eyes Frightening at the
! prospect before her. s.I'il answer the
advertisement right off, she declared;
land if he comes,I can fix the spare bed
room for him to sleep in. And Eli have
Sy Hedges put up some more shelves in
the buttery, to set the milk and butter
on. It'll take up too much of Eustachia's
time to be a-running out to the spring
house after 'em. Sy is mighty good
hand to fix up things, though I hev to
complain and grumble as If he didn't
arm bis salt, or he'd be a-wantin' more
wages"
/ Whatever may have been the Widow
Snapwells faults, procrastination was
not one of them, and her plans were soon
carried into effect.
Mr.. Flowerdale had engaged the room,
paying months rent in advance, and
Sy Hedges had put up the shelves in the
buttery, for the accommodation of the
milk and butter.
Sy slept in the top of the house.
s'It's mighty cold up there, these
nights, he confded to Eustachia, as he
stopped of the stove one morning, when
she was baking griddle-cakes for break
fast.
But the widow was in the pantry in-
specting the plum preserves, in honor of
the expected boarder, and her sharp ears
had caught the mans words.
''Mighty cold, is it?" she snapped out,
tartly. sI'll warrant faint patchin to
what you've been used to, Sy Hedges,
and don't want none of your sass''
"And you are as much to blame as he
is, miss" she continued, as Mr.. Hedges
slipped ont of the kitchen door, with the
, tin milk pail in his hand. "You are
, allus a,talkin' to him, and encouragin
! his impudence,
I'll didn't say anything, aunt, ''stam.
mered Eustachia, blushing confusedly
as she thought how frequently she hac
: talked to Sy, and remembered the admir-
2 ing chances that had lurked in his homes
? brown eyes.
And in truth it was not strange u
!. Eustachia's soft little heart was slightly
touched by the owner of the brown eyes
: : for she had small chance of falling ir
: love with anyone else.
s'You hain't got time to be a-galIvan
9 tin about with beaux," declared he
r aunt. And if you had, wouldn't he
8 'em a-foolin' around here. Poor girl
d like you had better attend to their work
and If Providence wants EN- to marry
i He'll give 'em chance. If not, the
may be sure they was meant for ol,
g maids, and faint no use to fuss abou
d it."
"But I don't want to be an old maidl
E pouted pretty Eustachia to herself, a
% she baked aud secured, MIXED an,
3 churned, and did the chores.
& That was before Mrs. Snapwell ha
sl hired man to do the outside work.
= And now that Sy Hedges had come sh
r, wanted still less to be an old maid; fol
!. somehow or other, in spite Of the widow
{ hawk-eyed vigilance, there were plent
Of chances for conversation with him.