The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-01
Selected Storp.
The Little Tenant.

Mr.. Harding and his wife were sit
ting at the tea-table, which was very
neatly spread, and the room and all its
furnishings seemed entirely in keep
ing with the wealth and taste of its
mistress.
The boy, who might have been
twelve years old, came rather timidly
into the room, fully conscious of his
bare feet and the daintiness OF the
carpet beneath them; but there was
fearless, bright, brave look on his face
that at once won him welcome.
"Well, my boy, you wished to see
me, Norah said"
yes sir, IL did. l come apur-
pose"
eyes? Is it on business? You
look rather young for business mat
ters."
"Ohl I'm older'n look, an 1 want
to hire your house-the one in the
lane"
"That shanty? Why, told Perkins
to tear it down next week. It's rather
blot on the farm, think. What do
you want of it?"
"Want ter live there-me an
gramma."
"Down by the mill, an it's so orful
dirty an noisy, an sech rough folks
about, that gramma don't like it; but
if we could git that little house o. yourn
we'd think-why, she said it'd be next
door to heaven!"
Dear me, Mary" said Mr.. Harding
to his wife. :" To think that any one
should cast longing eyes on that moss
grown hutN'
But there was smile full of mean
ing on the lady's face as she filled a
plate with good things and handed it to
the child, saying, pleasantly,
your grandma would like to live
there because it's quiet and she loves
the country, isn't that it?"
Yes'm; an, then, there's currant
bushes along the fence, an hollyhawks
in the garden. CRIMINALS a dreadful
hand fer hollyhawks an roses an
sech"
" Yes, there are several kinds of old
fashioned flowers around there, know;
but you see the house has been stand
ing empty for some time, and so no
care has been taken of anything about
it."
cob! we'd fix it up real nice an
slick, if we wuz let to come. Gramma
said So"
"What is her name? and yours, my
boy?"
''Mine's BERTHE Wilson, an hers
why, it's Mis- Wilson, an there's only
us two. 1 could pay three dollars a
month for the house. Would you want
more'n that?"
"No: could let you have it for that
if thought it worth renting at ALL"
"Oh, but it isl gramma and me have
been to look at it twicet-ouside, that
is"
cit isn't any better inside than out
Berthe"
cts a plenty good, we think. Ye
see, work in the mill. 1 get three
dollars week now; an pretty soon
Pm to have rise in my wages, so the
boss says"
"Then it will take weeks wages tC
pay months rent, as the case stands
now?'
eyes sir; but gramma she does fin
ishin' at home, an some weeks she
earns pretty near as much as 1 do
Oh, we'd be sure to pay you the rent
We pay three now-jest fer rooms
little an mean they be, too, an not 6
flower ner bit o. grass with 'em."
"But have you thought of the long
walk back and forth to the mill, and the
bundles of work to carry to your
grandma?"
eyes sir But Mr.. Nolan-you know
Jim Nolan what teams for the mill
well, he says L can ride up with hin
every night"
THAT is very kind of Mr.. Nolan"
"Ain't it? But you see his little boy
fell in the pond last summer, an L
well, fshed him out before he 90
drowned dead"
"Ohl | remember hearing of that
And so it was you who saved the little
fellows life?"
"That's what they said; but mebb
somebody else would have got him GU
if l hadn't, but Mr.. Nolan has beer
dreadful good to me ever since"
&c / should think he would be. Well
if you can ride with him, it will be
great help; but you must remembe
that it won't be as pleasant out in thu
country next winter as it is now il
midsummer. The snow will be YER
deep sometimes"
eyes sir; but Mr.. Nolan says he'l
StC IlldI l. RCG w bllS I'LL Gil IhCih tllhCe
I've talked it all over with him."
"Ahl l see that you're quite a bust
ness-like little fellow. Well, Mary
what do you say? Shall made bar
gain with him?'
"Suppose we all 90 down and take
look at the house. l haven't bee
there in long time"
"That's a sensible thought. We
look it over, and then decide whethe
to tear down or fix up"
The house in question was quite
little distance away along the lane leat
ing to the far meadows" 1t was To-
and weather-stained, with tiny window
and projecting roof, and had an oil
timey look about it that would have d.
lighted relic-hunter.
The little yard and garden were gra
and weed-grown, but rockets, viii
and red, and royal hollyhocks lifted l
their heads bravely.