Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-02
MIR. HALLS MISTAKE.


Miss Carson came to Chicago before
The great fire, or, as she always eX-
pressed it, the "great cOnfiagratiOn. )"
She kept boarders, and the struggle she
made to at least come out even at the
end of the month gave her face a
pinched and worried expression which
her blandest smile could not wholly OBJ
literate.
Her boarders were five in number and
were all gentlemen.
Mr. Hall, an old bachelor of fifty, had
boarded with Miss Carson for six years,
though he threatened to leave on an
average of once a week.
Mr.. Wilkins, Mr. Crane and Mr..
Stowe were statesmen in large dry
goods house. They occasionally pre-
scented their landlady with gloves, hand
kcrchiefs, or the latest thing in neck
wear, in return for which kindness she
darned their stockings and replaced
missing buttons.
Last, though by no means least, for
he was six feet tall, there was Mr.. Fay,
a young lawyer who had taken 4 room
Immediately under the mansard roof,
and who spent most of his evenings
reading ponderous volumes that his
landlady declared made her head ache
even TO look ut.
AT first Miss Carson was inclined to
weave romances about MIR. Fay. He
was SO handsome, SO quiet and reserved.
Was he somebody in disguise, or was he
suffering from an unrequited love? AS
months passed on, however, and moth
ing startling was heard concerning him,
she ceased to think much about him,
merely regarding him as a rather I'M
sociable young man totally wrapped up
in his studies.
Miss Carson made it point to always
show ready sympathy with whatever
interested her boarders.
If Mr.. Stowe told her that the White
Stockings had beaten the Bostons, or
some other thrilling item of news con-
nected with the National idiocy, she
would exclaim: Il am surprisedn' or
"What pity" with an interest that
was only equaled by her ignorance of
the great American game.
One cold winter evening the landlady
did not appear, as was her usual Gus
tom, behind the coffee-urn at the dinner
table. "Old girl sick?'' asked Mr..
wilkins of the company in general.
mo-" replied Mr.. Crane; "she has
gone to the Twenty-second street depot
to meet a little girl, her niece, who is
coming here to live"
IF she is going to take a child to
raise that settles it with me-" growled
Mr.. Hall, in deep bass voice.
Il shall leave at the endof the month.
What is that in front of you, Stowe? A
meat pie of course! Meat pie is an in
vention of clearinghouse keepers to
save scraps. Miss Carson says she
never gives us hash, but she either puts
it between crusts and calls it meat pie,
or she adds onions and calls it an Irish
stewr''
"A rose by any other name would
smell as sweet" observed Mr.. wilkins.
Tomorrow will be Sunday" con-
tinued Mr.. Hall, land that means cod
fish-balls for breakfast. Will somebody
tell me the connection between Goldfish
balls and Sunday morning, that they
should appear regularly on that particu-
lar day. Is there any creed that insists
on codish-balls for Sunday breakfast"
As no one volunteered an answer to
this question Mr.. Hall finished his din
ner with the remark that he hoped soon
to take his meals where he would be
served as gentleman ought to be, and
not be fed like a tramp.
Miss Carson's boarders were rather
surprised to find her niece full-grown
young lady instead of the little girl they
had expected to see. 1t would be a
difficult matter to describe Flo Sheldon.
She was not a beauty. Her nose was a
trife "tip-tilted and her meath a
little too large, though her teeth were
white and even; but her eyes were the
glory of her face. They were large,
dark and bright: they were shaded by
long curling lashes; they were such al
Turing, provoking. bewitching eyes!
Il have always mentioned Flo as my
little niece" said Miss Carson at the
breakfast-table. II can scarcely real
ize that this tall young lady is the little
girl in short dresses parted from five
years ago. All, well! have changed a
great deal in that time myself"
mot at ALL" said Mr.. Hall, with a
sudden and most unaccountable attack
of politeness. Il assure you you look
rs young and as er-er-rosy as YOU
did six years ago. Time has not put
silver threads among the gold, or er-er
-trified with your appearance in any
way" This was true. Miss Carson
hair was drab, and her complexion
matched it. Time could make no start
ling change in either.
A gradual but very perceptible change
came over the house after Flo's arrival.
She was a very industrious girl, and
knew how to employ her time. The
curtains were looped less primly, the
parlors had 8 more comfortable, home.
like appearance, while delicate pud.
dings. faky pies and delicious coffee
showed her acquaintance with the Gull.
nary art.
"You are certainly the personifca,
ton Of youth, health and happines.
combined, Miss Flo," said Mr.. FAY, q:
he found her late one afternoon singing
gayly rs she was spreading the cloth fol
dinner. " 1t does one good merely te
look at you."
THANK you; pray continue to look a,
me then, BY all means. As to the frs
observation You made, can say that ]
deserve it. I am young, / am certainly
heslthful and am csry happy, for 70
9iSM I sm gong TO tie opera WRs