Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-02-13

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here" says he, and can't make up my
mind to 60 elsewhere. I'll pay you any
price you please. my good woman, and
I'm not at all particular where you put
me-" 'Well,' says I, if you don't mind
the barn chamber-it's very clean and
quiet there, with the apple tree boughs
in bloom, close to the window. And
says he, put me in hen coop, if you
like So I've been boarding him ever
since and the week is up tomorrow,
Miss Elizabeth, and l expect he'll pay
his seven dollars"
Tibby's eyes spark!ed.
Hannah Ann" she cried, lyon are a
female Napoleon. You did right
81 know of two other boarders | could
GET" shrewdly added Hannah Ann,
"sketching young ladies, as don't like
their rooms at Coon's boarding house
if you could make up your mind to spare
the big front room; and after all you
never use it, except as a guest chamber
for company as never comes
"Tll ask mamma" cried eager Tibby !;
"because you know Hannah Ann, we
must live"
MRS. Wayne, a limp, sentimental,
elderly lady, who spent her time in read
ing novels and bemoaning the splendors
of her vanished girlhood, began to cry
feebly at the idea.
"Boarders," cried she. "Me Cap
tain Frost Frozehsm's daughter, And
has it indeed come to that Oh, if | had
only died ten years ago, and avoided this
terrible humiliation :"
"But mamma" pleaded Tibby "you
need not have anything to do with it.
Hannah Ann will attend to everything
And can gather wild berries for the
table, and see to the linen and flowers
for the dining room. Hannah Ann says
she had as lief cook for ten as for two.
And we might raise her wages then,
and"
Don't torture me with such details"
sighed Mrs. Wayne, behind her handker-
chief.
"But you don't positively forbid it,
mamma ?" coaxed Tibby.
al don't forbid anything" said Mrs.
Wayne. "My wishes are of no conse-
quence, one way or the other"
Which Tibby joyfully constructed in
to permission. And she ran down
stairs to count the cups and saucers,
look over the table drapery, and consider
as to the chairs which were worthy Of
use. For some one must attend to these
things, and Tibby was so anxious to be
useful.
And in q month the jerks glen half
way house was full Of boarders. Some
people came there for the view, some for
the air, some for the delicious quiet which
brooded over the crests Of the hills. Mrs.
Wayne oon,entedly read novels in her
own room, and libby kept determinedly
in the background, while Hannah Ann
was constituted managing agent in gen.
eral, and proved herself fully worthy Of
the occasion.
"Tm paying expenses" said Hannah
Ann, with pardonable pride. and laying
up little for interest on the mortgage.
Nobody don't foreclose on my folks, not
if know it And Miss Elizabeth shall
have new dress in September, just as
sure as my name is Stokes ~
Tibby was busy enough now, what
with the house linen, the concocting of
rare and dainty desserts, which were a
degree above the solid puddings and
thick pie in which Hannah Ann delight
ed, and the score Of daily duties which
seemed no one could tell how, to fall to
her cheerful lot. And one day Hannah
Ann mounted to the attic chamber to
which Tibby had transferred her house.
hold goods.
"Miss Elizabeth" said she in hol-
low tone, Zone OF. the boarders would
like to see you"
Zone of the boarders, Hannah Ann
What one ," cried libby, dropping the
bottle of oxalic acid with which she was
taking spots out Of the literary boarders 5
towels.
"It's the old gentleman in the barn
chamber" said Hannah Ann. Hes
sitten on the the rustic seat under the
apple tree, with his white umbrella, q
waitnn' for you.
81 wonder what he wants, Hannah
Ann!"
And with the most digni6ed air which
she could assume upon such short notice,
Tibby descended to the apple tree where
the gilliAower apples (called "sheep
noses," by the rustic inhabitants Of the
neiehboring yales) were just beginning
to stripe their emerald spheres with
crimson.
The old gentleman was not 50 very
old, after all. He might have been
forty, but he certainly was not older
He was straight, ruddy complexioned,
handsome, with dark, piercing eyes,
and only here and there silver streak
in bis dark brown hair.
He rose and bowed to Tibby. Tibby
inclined her head to him and secretly
thought that if she were well acquainted
with him she would like him very much
81 hope sir you have nothing to com.
plain of" said libby rather royalty.
mot the least" said the gentleman.
"On the contrary, highly approve Of
the manner in which things are con-
Quoted here"
libby drew herself up.
What did it matter to her whether
this tall parsonage approved or otherwise
| AT . .c,tha mar said the OenfIe