Morris tribune., 1883-08-08
OUR QUEER LODGER.

We kept little variety shop, sister
Margie and I, the profit of which was
quite as small as the wares we sold. But,
then, We had no rent to pay owning the
small, brown, old-fashioned house in
which we lived, and which looked
strangely out place among the stately
looking modern dwellings that crowded
up against it on either side, quite put
ting it out Of countenance by their SUI
perior height and appearance.
Grandfather built it when the place
was new, and he a young man, and when
all that brick and mortar were verdant
fields and well-kept gardens, dotted here
andthere by houses as low and modest
as his own. He owned large farm, and
was considered wealthy man for those
days; but acre after acre had been sold
until nothing was left except the house
in which my father had been born,
and which was the only inheritance of
LIS CIiLuESu. Dub VIC uOSb VI
it, Margie and I, as you will see.
| hardly think we should have dared to
do such thing while father lived, who
would have considered it sort of sacri-
lege but soon after his death we turned
the front part of the house into shop,
with show-windows which opened out
upon the street, in which to display the
articles we kept for sale.
This was a matter of necessity rather
than choice, it being all that I could do
at home; and could not leave Margie.
Poor Margie was cripple she had re-
ceived a fall when only years old, and
had never walked since. She had been
a great care to me for many year, but
never Il burden. She was so thoughtful,
patient and cheerful, that in the event
of our separation think should have
missed her quite as much as she would
me. She was very useful, too lying all
day on the lounge in her little sitting
room, her hands were never idle, chro-
cheting tides, mats, mittens and edg-
ing, and, doing various kinds of fancy
work, for which I found sale in the shop,
and though the price asked was only
moderately in excess of the cost of ma
terial, it helped us not a little.
Margie kept all the accounts, too;
having a clearer head than I, and
knowledge, or rather intuition, of char
acter that was wonderful, considering
how secluded her life had of necessity
been. I never thought of taking any
step without consulting Margie.
We two lived very quietly, having
few acquaintance, and no near relative
or friend-except John. John was my
lover, and no girl ever had one more
kind and true. He was poor in worldly
goods, but oh so rich in goodness and
manly worth. He might have seeHed
plain to those who knew him mott cam
not tell how he looked to other eyes
but there was more than beauty, to me,
In that frank, honest face, and in the
big, brown hands that were so strong
and helpful.
We had been engaged ever since was
18-I was g now-and no nearer to be-
ing married, as I could see, than we
were five years before. But still we
loved on and hoped on. John had a
widowed and infrm mother, and I Mar
gle, and, though she was anything but
burdensome to me, could not think of
adding any further weight to the hands
that were full enough already.
Trade not being very brisk during the
summer, Margie and I decided to exc
out our slender income by renting the
room over the shop. 1t was low, and
the slant of the roof on one side and big
chimney made it full of hooks and cor
ner8. The furniture was old, being some
that grandfather had when he was mar
ried, but with the help of John, who
could spare me an hour or two evenings,
I furnished it up SO that it looked very
well. BY dint Of piecing and contriy-
ing, [ covered the floor with . neat
carpet, the bed and windows were
draped with white. some pretty prints
hung upon the wall, and on the whole I
was very well satisfied with the result of
our labor.
When all was done, John wrote
notice: Room to let. Inquire within"
But though I placed it in the shop win
dow, where it could be plainly seen from
the street, nearly three weeks passed
and we had only two applications for the
room, and from persons who only looked
at ii, and then went away.
One morning, as 7 was busting the
counter and putting the shop to rights,
saw queer.looking, oddly-dressed old
man standing in front of the window,
his eyes fixed upon the notice in it, and