The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-01-15
To Mrs Moody the majors dictum

was beyond appeal; and after she had
had her usual morning alteration with
the butcher. she crept timidly up to
the third-story hall bedroom, to inter-
view the musical man.
Mr.. Morton was writing on the
corner of his wash-stand, with his
shabby create coat on, and a pocket
handkerchief tied around his neck.
His pale. grave countenance softened
the landlady's heart at once, as he
coarteously rose up and bowed.
"You have come for the weePs
board in advance" said he. pardon
me, but our manager never pays unil
Saturday night. 1t is not pleasant
confess ones poverty, but"
"Oh, never mind" said Mrs. Moody,
all in a futter. "I-I only came to
see if there was plenty of fresh tow
els. And if you find it cold writing
here. sir, I'm sure you're very well
come to bring your work down to the
parlor, where there is good fire."
Mr.. Morton smiled and bowed.
eyes," he admitted, cit is cold with
out a fire, in November, and cannot
afford the extra expense of coal-at
present" He glanced at his blue
fingers and shivered little.) "lf it
is not too great liberty, I will avail
myself of your kind offer"
And Mrs. Moody felt comparativel!
happy when she saw the musical man
diligently writing, at her south win
dow, in the soft atmosphere of the
glowing anthracite.
But Mrs. Racquet and her daughter,
the genteelest boarders in the house,
took vehement exceptions to this new
plan.
I'm not particular" said the for
mer, with a toss of her head; "but this
is really little too much A man
who plays in the orchestra of a third
rate theatre!'
"But he is very respectable, ma'am,
1 assure you," said Mrs. Moody, eager
ly.
"How am I to know that ?" said
Mrs. Racquet, tartly. II declare, !
was mortified to death when Mrs
Lawyer Leakington came to call, and
found him perched up in the corner
And Melissa and shall find it neces-
sary to change our boarding house, il
this sort of thing is to continue"
"Mr. Morton is a gentleman said
Mrs. Moody, reused into temporary
spirit. "He has an equal right with
yourself in the parlor |"
Mrs. Racquet and Miss Melissa gave
warning at once.
Mrs. Moody did not care. Miss Jen
kins, the district school teacher, turned
up her nose and left the house.
"She wasn't over-critical," she said
"but there were some things which ne
one could stand !"
One by one the boarders dropped
away, and Major Peck grew deepl,
indignant.
"Mrs. Moody" he said, "1 wonder a
you, after all my advice and counsel ?
"You wouldn't have me turn thi
poor man out of doors, now, of al
times, when he's ill with malaria
fever ?" said the widow.
Eyes, I would I" said the major
stoutly.
But, for once, Mrs. Moody disre
garded his advice.
The musical man was very i'll
indeed-so i'll that he would undoubt
edly have died, without his landlady'
careful nursing and unremitted atten
tion. But the major never went nea
his fellow boarder.
"If Mrs. Moody had taken m,
advice" he said, "she never woul,
have got herself into this dilemma
Now let her manage the best way tha
she can p
| The musical man, however, did no
die. He lost his position in the orches
ira, of course. He was without mean
to meet his doctors bill; but Docto
Hayden was a benevolent soul, an
declared that he could wait until tn
profits from the uncompleted volum
should roll in.
1t was the first of February, ~a.sa
at last Mr.. Morton was able once NOR
to creep down stairs to the sum
parlor window, where. by way of we
come, Mrs. Moody had placed pot Q
blossoming blue hyacinths.
"How can I ever thank you for a
your care ?" said he, earnestly.
The little widow burst into tears.
IL don't mind it !" said she, "a
long-as long as you are well ono
more. Ifyou had died"
And there she stopped short, an
grew crimson.
as it so ?" said the musical man,
that soft. deep tenor of his. "Is ther
any one who really cares whether liy
, or die ?"
"Idop whispered Mrs. Moody. wit
fresh burst of tears.
1t would be difficult to descrit
: exactly how it happened. Middle-age
t love-making is never exactly like tt
t ecstacies of youth. But it transpire,
a somehow, that Mr.. Morton laid h
0 heart at Mrs. Moody's feet, and 81
s confessed that she had learned to 10,