San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-04-19
MRS. SNAPwELL'S BOARDER'

Heard about the old Buttonwood
Place a.being sold?" inquired Mrs.
Sparrowgrass, who was spending the
day with the widow Snapwell.
SThe Buttonwood place? MOI wal,
that is newsl Who's bought it3"
oueried the widow, eagerly, as she
carefully basted frill of Spanish lace
in the neck of her new polonaise.
"Why, man named Flowerdale'
thew 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 well run down. It's
good farm, though. Mr.. Sparrow
grass thinks it's the best one in the
hull Big River Bottom"
The new purchase furnished q sutii-
cient subject Of conversation till sup,
per was over, and Sparrowgrass had
rolled up per knitting, donned her
shawl and worsted hood, and taken
her departure, with many injunctions
from her hostess to be sure and come
back again." After which, Mrs. Snap
well fell into brown study over the
new polonaise, while her pretty niece
Eustachia gathered up the tea-things,
and gave Sy Hedges, the hired man,
his supper in the Kitchen.
"Put away them crulls and the
blackberry-jel, first" commanded the
widow. Sorghum merlasses and gin,
ger-cake is good enough for hired
handl"
"Yes, it must be him that put in
the advertisement for country board,
she pondered, going back to her sew
ing. Its the very same name
Flowerdale-and he wants to git
board som ers in the Big River Bot
tom. Of course it's him!"
"A batchelder, the advertisement
says. Probbly about forty-fve or
fifty years old. Wal, I'm on the
shady side of thirty, myself, and l
think I'll answer it. It's about the
only chance for lone woman like
me to turn an honest penny" she
added, her gray eyes frightening at
the prospect before her. I'll answer
the advertisement right off, she de-
clared; "and if he comes, I can fix
the spare bedroom for him to sleep in.
And III hev sly 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 l hev to COM
plain and grumble as if he didn't am
his salt, or he'd be a-wantin more
wages"
Whatever may have been the Widow
Snapwel's faults procrastination was
not one of them, and her plans were
carried into effect.
Mr.. Flowerdale had engaged the
room, paying months rent in ad-
vance, and sly Hedges had put up the
shelves in the buttery, for the accom-
mediation of the milk and butter.
Sy slept in the loft OF attic, at the
top of the hallway.
ITS mighty cold up there, these
nights" he confded to Eustachia, as
he stopped at the stove one morning,
when she was baking griddle- cakes for
breakfast.
But the widow was in the pantry
inspecting 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. I'll warrant faint patch
in to what you've been used to, sly
Hedges, and l don't want none of
your sass!
And you are as much to blame
as he is, MISS" she continued, as Mr..
Hedges slipped out of the kitchen door,
with the tin milk-pail in his hand.
You are always talking to him and
encouraging his impudence."
II didn't say anything, aunt,
stammered Eustachia, blushing con-
fusedly, as she thought how frequent
ly she had talked to Sy, and remem-
bered the admiring chances that had
lurked in his honest brown eyes.
And in truth it was not strange if
Eustachia soft little heart was slight
ly touched by the owner of the brown
eyes, for she had small chance of
falling in love with onyone else.
you hain't got time to be GALL
vantin' about with beaux, declared her
aunt. And if you had, 1 wouldn't
hev' 'eln a-foOln round here. Poor
Il