Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-12-04
BOARDING HOUSE KO-
NANCE.
BY ANNA McDoUGAL.

BY ANNA McDoUGAL.
Copyrighted, 1885, by 8. 8. Mcclure.
On January 1, some ears ago, at the
small boarding house which Mr.. Burley
was obliged to call "home," there was
big dinner. The dinner itself was per-
haps not go remarkable as the events
that occurred there.
Miss Williams was woman OF taste
palate taste in particular hence her
dinners were good, and on holidays
.hey were big in addition.
Why Miss Williams had never MARI
I'D was a riddle to her boarders, and af-
ter many efforts to solve it they wisely
gave it up. Various theories were ad-
vanoed, but no one ever breathed his
own private convictions, that Miss Will
Iiams had never had chance. May be
this belief arose from the knowledge that
Miss Williams was not good to look up
on, and may be it sprang from her un-
even temper. 1t certainly did spring
from her temper in Mr.. Thompson's
opinion. He was the one of her board
ers that Miss Williams could not abide.
He was so lean and 30 tall and his clam
my hands were so suggestive of the
the past. Summers terrible heat, now
chilled by winters blasts. His depreca-
tory manner was particularly offensive
to Mr.. Burley while his squeaky shoes
set all tho abnormal nerves In the two
Miss Plaques bodies a-quiver. The
Misses Plague who were ''fussy;" Mr.
Burley, who was jovial and equity; Mr.
Thompson, and little Mr.. Sprig, the dry
goods clerk, made up the sum total te
Miss Williams regular boarders.
Had you known them as long as she
had, and as we'll, with few more OF their
same sort to boot, there is no doubt but
that your eyes would have been dull too,
your face wrinkled, and your temper SET
crosswise in your disposition, and you
might not have pulled through twenty
such years, with twice the number OF
scars Miss Williams had to show.
Mr.. Burley said-bat nobody be-
lieved him that he had brother who
coold remember when Miss Williams
was very pretty girl, quite as pretty as
her blooming niece, Miss Dolly Daner,
in fact the exact image of that bewitching
young person. He might have told,
too, only Mr.. Burley was man of deli
cacy, that he had heard from the same
source that Miss Williams had had a
lover good many years before circum-
stances made boarders q necessity, and
that this lover had been favored above
many other suitors.
This lover, so Mr.. Burley's brother
said, vas his own dearest friend and he
went out to India in a fit of desperate
jealousy on account of this same Miss
Williams. In few years he married
and his early romance was to all appear
.ance forgotten in practical matrimony.
Miss Williams said Mr.. Burley, on
this identical New Years day, ''can you
make room, at your hospitable board to-
day, for my brother and an old friend OF
hisf'
For all Mr.. Burley was her favorite
boarder, Miss Williams face betokened
displeasure. With a weary gesture she
pushed back the irregular little wisps Of
sandy grey hair from her wrinkled fore
head.
"Really, Mr.. Burley, this is rather
late to make such request. My niece,
Dolly, and Mr.. Sprigs' sister are coming,
and it would be almost impossible to
seat so many in this small ROOM"
Miss Williams owed it TO her con-
science to say "feed" instead of ''seat."
II was greet deal to expect Of her
this big New Year'e dinner prepared
without extra charge for her boarders-
and then to have to feed their friends in
to the bargain, was more than Miss Will
Jams felt like standing.
Just ct this time Mr.. Burley was gull
ty of q great improperly. He looked
across the table, full at Miss Williams,
and winked.
The closing of that twinkling eye Of
his must have been imbued with magic,
for Miss Williams not only said his
friends might come, but she even asked
IL he wouldn't want something extra.
"My dear Miss Williams, your excel
lent dinners leave pothing to be desired
save little more congenial company"
(The Misses Plague shifted derislve-
ly.)
s.Then it is settled" said the genial
Burley; 81 shall have the pleasure OF in
Producing my brother and his friends in
10 this charming family circle"
Everybody looked pleased except MIR.
Thompson, who shook his head with the
same air Of melancholy depreciation that
all his actions. And now
We come TO the dinner itself and. to say