Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-07-16
AN UNPAID BILL.

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Miss Comfort Walker laid down the
pen wherewith she was industriously
adding up her household accounts, and
meta phorically speaking, pricked up
her ears.
ut is some one crying ?" she said to
herself. "Oh, dear, dear what
world of tears and tribulation this
Is I"
Miss Walker had been pennlless and
unprotected at the age Of 20. but she
was not one of the "drooping ivy''
kind that takes to needlework and tu.
bercles on the lungs. So Miss Comfort
went boldly ahead, opened flrst-class
boarding house and made mUney.
This was the history Of the brisk little
| woman in brown debase dress and
cherry ribbons at her neck, who bus
tied down stairs to see what coull be
the meaning of the vague, indefinite
sobbing sound which now became au-
dible.
"Oh, it's you, is it ?" said Miss Com
fort Walker, as she perceived Ellen
O. Brien, the washerwoman, In the
basement hall.
"Yes, it's me, worse luck, Miss Com
fort" whimpered poor Ellen.
hof 50 m, NJ 90
"It's me bill up stairs, Miss Comfort
the boarder in the second story front
with the gay gold shirt studs an the
green and yellow stones in his sleeve
buttons Nine dollars and sivinty
cents, Miss Comfort-six weeks wash
ing and ironing-and now, when |
makes bould to AK him would he be
pleased to pay me, he tells me it isn't
convanient Ami when I tells him
how sore l need the money he ups and
gets mad, and says l shan't have it at
ALL"
Miss Comfort stood listening, with
knitted brows and troubled black ey es.
"Have you got your bill with you,
Ellen ?" said she, after a moments
hesitation.
"Jimmy wrote it out, all nate and
proper" faltered Ellen, producing a
crumpled slip of pale blue paper from
her pocket.
"Give it to me-" said Miss Comfort
Walker. "And come here this even
ing at s O'Clock, and you shall have
your money"
She went slowly up stairs with the
little piece of paper in her hand.
''It's a shame, "said Miss Comfort.
Leotard Carlyon was Miss Comfort
Walkers best boarder, with the single
exception that, up to the present mo-
ment, his twenty five dollars a week
had been in t,d,ro.
Now it so Glanced that one reason
for her reposing so much confidence in
Mr.. Leotard Carlyon, the new boarder,
was that he was the nephew and heir
apparent of Caleb Carlyon, the rich
banker from whom she rented heI
brown stone house, at the trifiing con-
sideration of three thousand dollars
per annum.
So she went bravely up to Mr.. Carl
! yon's room and tapped at the door.
"CQme in" he called out. "Oh, it's
you, Miss Walker, is it ?"
Miss Comfort advanced vallantly
with the bill in her hand to where
Leetard Carlyon reclined languidly
amid heap of sofa pillows, with o
newspaper i'm bis hand.
"Don't you think you could settle
this little account, Mr.. Carlyon ?" she
asked. 'The poor woman needs 1t SC
very much"
Leotard Carlyon's handsome black
brows darkened.
"She has been to you with her story,
has she ?" snarled he. ''No, / CAM
settle It. And wouldn't IL I could
So Miss Comfort tied on little
brown vslyet hat she had trimmed witt
| scarlet popies and brown autum leaves
and set out bravely for the Mount Ori
ent Bank.
Tho olorb ctarod at her q little curi-
ously as she was shown into the presi'
dents room at the back, where Mr.
Carlyon sat, straight and upright, with
blue eyes like a falcon and hair slight.
II sprinkled with gray.
He elevated his brows at the sight
of Miss Comfort Walker. And sht
told the story of Ellen O'Brien and hel
wrongs.
"May ask, Miss Walker, why yor
interest yourself SO markedly in ihi'
affair ?" the banker asked. with cold
measured calm that conLrasted strange
" with the little woman's heat ant
furry.
because think no man has right
to cheat a poor woman out of her har(
earned money"
"Cheat is strong word, Miss Wal
ker," observed the landlord.
''It's the only correct word in thi.
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