Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-10-10
MISS GOLDEN'S LODGER.
Money Is Not the Only Thing on
Earth Worth Having.

After Mr.. Golden had failed, and he
and Miss Golden took to letting out
the rooms in their house to dodgers,
and she found it necessary to work
hard at embroidery besides, and to
give up all those pretty luxuries she
had been used to. there came one day
to the door sparely-built man,
rather handsome. but not very young,
and just little shabby. who asked if
they had room to spare for him.
1T must be very cheap one," said
he, "for can't afford a good one. 1
don't care how high up it is, and I
don't want it to be furnished. / have
very good furniture of my own-good
enough for me; plenty good enough
and | don't wish to die in the poor
house. No; don't wish to die in the
poor-house.
Miss Golden opened her eyes az the
p big man of tive-and-torty said this, but
there was little hall bedroom on the
top floor which stood in place of the
traditional garrett and thither she
conducted the gentleman who dreaded
the poor-house SO much. The room
suited him, the rent suited him. he gave
a well-known bankers name as refer
,ence, and he declared himself to be
Mr.. Moss
The banker to whom Mr. Golden
went smiled a peculiar smile and
said:
Highly respectable, and feel sure
he'll pay his rent"
And the next day Mr.. Moss came
with his furniture. A boy brought an
-old-fashioned cot, and straw bed, and
a wooden stool. and little three.
legged table, and wanted fifty cents for
his trouble, and took twenty-five in
cash, and took the rest out in bad lam
guagc on the doorstep, after he had
been shut out Then Mr.. Moss ar
ranged his room himself. and drew one
teaspoonful of tea in little tin tea
pot. and had one roll and one radish
for his supper. Tie roll he bought;
the radish he took from bunch on the
igrocer's counter.
What are your radishes?" he said.
Then he nipped one off, and walked
away like an absent-minded gentle
man.
Poor SOUL" said Ellen Golden, II
do feel so sorry for him.
SO she smiled and nodded to him
when he went out next day. and was
always very careful to be civil to him.
She knew what 1t was to be poor her
self. And what was cup of coffee
now and then, or just wedge of pie,
or a bowl OF soup? 1t wasn't missed,
and one could do it in neighborly
fashion, for a man must be ve.y poor
to live so.
And Miss Golden, who often laughed
at the idea OF owning such a name
she whose life was SO little OF golden
one-did thousand such;llttle kind
nesses. They had enough to eat and
drink. her father and herself.
Then. when the nights grew cold,
their tenart who could have no fire
in his room, often warmed himself at
that of his landlord. He was not
without ideas. and he was by no means
plain; but his brain was full of
thoughts of one order thoughts of
money; how people made it and lost
it; how they got high interest for it,
how they speculated with it and lost
it; how unexpected legacies were left
to some people. and how others waited
in vain for dead mems shoes; and
sometimes when Ellen Golden. who
had touch of romance in her, limited
that after all. money was not WORTH
every thing else in life, he would stos
short in his serious, solemn way, and
say:
My GEAR young lady. you don't
think enough Of money. 1t would be
"a terrible thing if you were so careless
of it as to come to the almskouse in
your old age Many worthy people
have come to the almshouse in their
old age"
His grave, dark face, the little touch
OF foreign accent there was in his
voice. his curiously earnest manner,
all gave his words curious weight
and meaning.
Ellen could not laugh at them.