The Wilmingtonian., 1886-10-23
Our Boarder.

"There's the coal cellar" said Aunt Sne,
initiating Nel's voice to perfection. Blu,
the touch OF sarcasm reused the exceedingly
small pugilistic spirit Nell possessed.
~ don't consider the suggestions parallel
at all, )" she said, flushing little. 81 know
the cottage is very small, but it is habitable."
''Habrable y cried Fannie. you couldn't
swing cat in the whole house ~
"We will let the cats exist without swing
ing then" said Nell, stouty. ''See here !!
We can't live here any longer ~
NO." Aunt Sue answered, ruefully, "not
for the present, at any rate"
"Our worthy guardian having abscOnded
with all the property he held in trust from
our father, Including your twenty thousand
dollars, Aunt Sue, we must look for some
means oi existence more humble than this
big house aud two thousand year income"
''oh. Nell " and here Fannie's blue eyes
owe flowed, ''how could hep"
81 can't tell, my dear sister; but lie did.
That's The important question. Now, as We
can't pay the rent OF this house any longer
propose to take possession of The little cot
tage at Harlem, that we own, furnish it out
of this house, sell the tables and chairs re-
naming over, and look out for some work.
sippose we can do something" she added
duubLiully.
Something of Nell's courage inspired Aunt
Sue tor sue suddenly Strengthened up ana
said:
"Belore brother James, your father, my
1,arp N, ,ba NANNY aud III t,,t, r., h,,n
Gnd bless him, / had to work for my bread
made caps, aud could teach you giIlS
nUw."
millinery ?" said Fannie.
"No,caps for the army and navy, ,and boys
wore them then, too more than they do
now'
"We'll decide about the latter, ''said Nell,
seeing Fanne's face fall again, ''but now We
must go over aud see about the house. How
nue. money have you got, Aunt sue?"
"Ninety-seven dollars"
'And you, Fannie?"
"Two dollars and sixty five cents" said
Fannie, after dtlib ratey count ng the cou.
tens of her pprte-monuaie.
"Anh have over twenty dollars. QUITE
enough to move, you see, Independent of ll'
sale Of furniture will take Jane over tins
morning and set her to cleaning, if y"u WI
see about the carpets and luIniture; decide
what is best to take, [ mean"
"You and Aunt Sue arrange it" Fanuh
said, YEARLY leaving the room.
Poor Fam" Nell said, her whole tone OF
voice changing, as she looked alter her sis-
ter. 'It is harder for her than anybody"
81 don't see Why" said Aunt Sue, rather
sharply "she has gone about looking like
ghost ever sncs that old scamp Norris ran
off but am sure he took your money and
mine as well as hers"
''Oh, Aunt Sue,are you blindP Don't you
sec that Mr.. Norris is Fred's father, and
Fred has also mysterously vanished and,
oh, didn't you see long ago that Fred was
in love with poor Fan and her great blue
eyes frightened for HIM as they did for no
one else?"
Il never thought of that. Fan never said
word.'
"How could she ! Fred never actually pro.
posed to her, but he surely surely wanted
to, and so intended"
'Td like to hang his father p
And after this energetic declaration Aunt
Sue joined Nell in ramble over the house
deciding upon the best disposition of tht
handsome appointments. Many heart
wrench went with the decisions to sell oh
jects en- cared by years Of associations, bu
too large or handsome for the tiny home the!
proposed to occupy. Fanny helped by fit
and starts, but, as Nell surmised, the cir
had a hcart-ache to carry that far surpassc'
the pain of pecuniary loss or change of for
tune.
She was tall, slender blonde, very pre-,
ty, and of a gentle, loving disposition, heve
possessing the energy Of browneyed Nell
whose beauty was not nearly SO great, bu
who made up for snub nose and big mout
in the sunniest disposition and quick vivaC
ity that was very attractive.
Fred Norris, the son of the guardian VIII
had so fouly betrayed the trust Of the poo
girls dead father, had brought his hand
some face aud win ing manners often to tn
house over which Miss Susan Durrimer pre-
sided, and had left no power of persuasio
uutried in his endeavor to win pretty Fan
nio's heart. He was paltner in his father
law office, winning his own way to fortune
and no thought OF the blondes patrimUn
tempted him. 1t was pure, true love tina
softeDed his voice for Faunes ear shone |
his eyes when they rested upon her, au
brought hlm often TO her side.
Aud the love he coveted was given hin
though no words had yet been spoken, whe
Herbert Norris suddenly fled, aud twent!
four hours later his son was also missing.
1t was blessing, Nell said, that the
choose the spring weather for their journe,
as the cottage in Harlem was certainly NJ
tempting, as it stood, Tor Il winter residence
1t made a large hole in the money reallzt
from the sale Of the furniture, to put the 0
house in repair, it having been empty Tor
long time. Aud even when it was new
painted and papered and frightened by Il
prettiest of furniture, he'd very narrU
aud poor contrasted with ,ne home whe
the girls had lived from childhood. II
piano had to stand all askew, to fit at all
the little parlor, aud the easy chairs al
lounges looked all out Of prop 'rtion, B
Nell worked busily, and gradually the I'll
tng' become lr,lIc and even Faunie W
interested in wedging bureaus into impC