The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-02-06

change our boarding house, if this sort
Of thing is to continue
"Mr. Morton is gentleman! said
Mrs. Moody, reused into temporary
spirit. ale has an equal right with
yourself in the parlorl'
Mrs. Racquet and Miss Melissa gave
warning at once.
Mrs. Moody did not care. Miss Jen.
kns, the district school teacher, turned
up her nose aud left the house.
"She wasn't over. .citical," she said
''but there were some things which no
one could staudl"
One by one the boarders dropped
sway, and Major Peck grew deeply in
dignant.
Mrs. Moody he said, 81 wonder
at you, after all my advice and coun-
sell"
"You wouldn't have me turn this
poor man ont of doors, now, of all
times, when he's i'll with malarial
fevei?" said the widow.
"Yes, would!' said the major stout
ly.
But, for once, Mrs. Moody disregard
ed his advice.
The musical man was very i'll, in
deed-so i'll that he would undoubtedly
have died without his landlady's care
ful nursing and unremitted attention.
But the major never went near his fel-
| low boarder.
''1f Mrs. Moody had taken my
advice, he said, "she never would
have got herself into this dilemma.
Now let her manage the best way that
she CAM
The musical man, however, did no,
die. He lost his position in the orches-
ira, of course. He was without means
to meet his doctors bill but Doctor
Hayden was benevolent soul, and de-
clared that he could wait until the pro
| fits from the uncompleted volume should
roll in.
| 1t was the first of February, when at
last Mr.. Morton was able once more to
creep down stairs to the sunny par
lor window, where, by way of welcome
Mrs Moody had placed pot of bloss-
omiug blue hyacinths
"How can ever thank you for all
your care p said he, earnestly.
THE little widow burst into tears.
IL don't mind it," said she, ''as
long-as long as You are well once more.
If you had died"
And there she stopped short, and
grew crimson.
'1s it so ?" said the musical man, in
that soft, deep tenor of his. SIS there
any one who really cares whether | live
or die =
81 dol" whispered Mrs. Moody, with
a fresh burst of tears.
1t would be difficult to describe ex-
actly how it happened. Middle-aged
love making is never exactly like the
ecstacies Of youth. But it transpired,
somehow, that Mr.. Morton laid his
heart at Mrs. Moody's feet, and she
confessed that she had learned to love
him during that time when she and
Death stood together over his pill
| low.
"You are my guardian angel!' said
he fervently.
ga poor one enough" she murmured.
"Oh, l wish, for your sake, Paul, that
| were younger and prettier!"
You are beautiful in my sight" he
returned, with emphasis. "Your eyes
were the first that beamed hope and
cheer upon me your heart was the
first that softened to my woes Sweet
heart, the flower which blooms at noon
tide may surely be as sweet as the
morning violet!'
They were still talking thus, when
Mrs. Moody caught sight of letter on
the table.
ooh, / forgot she cried. "The
postman And it was letter for you,
Paul A foreign letter"
ga foreign letter, ell? That is some
! thing which does not often greet my
eyes" said he. Sand it has black
seal, too"
He broke it open and read 1t, while
unconscious Mrs. Moody trimmed the
dead blossoms of her hyacinth plant
with dainty pair of scissors.
"Mollie," he said, suddenly, "read
this. Henceforward | have no secrets
from you"
1t was simple enough, and yet how
marvellous! An accident in a Swiss
railway train, an apoplectic fit,carryiug
off rich banker in London, and the
two lives which interviewed between
Paul Morton and fortune had been
removed, almost the same day.
The musical man, disinherited by
his family, because of his devotion to
art-jerred by his relatives because he
resolutely remained true to music-was
rich at last.
Mrs. Moody grew pale.
"You--you won't care for me nov,
said she. "Oh, Paul, | am sorry and
yet, ought to be glad
son the contrary" he said, tenderly;
81 care for you more than ever. My
jewe! +! can place you in fit setting
at last"
OF course all this made great SEN
sation in Redstone street. There were
pleanty to declare that they had known
all along that Paul Morton was born
aristocrat. There were pleanty to as
sert that Mrs. Moody was scheming
plotter. But neither of the pair cared
straw what people said
Mrs. Moody sold ont the lease and
good will Of the establishment in Red.
stone street, and went to England with
her husband, the happiest of iorty-year-
old brides,
While Major Peck polished his
eye glasses with the corner of silk
handkerchief, and murmured, thought
fully
"No one will ever suit me with an
omelette as Mrs Moody did And I've
got to settle up my board bill regularly
now, or shall get notice to quit. It's
terrible misunderstanding l always
meant TO marry that woman myself.
But the musical man somehow man
aged to get ahead of me.-Saturday
Night.