Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-08-23

s'Eh2"
"That is the house am here to'take.
1t suits me exactly"
With alarming suddenness Mr..
Beavoir's friendliness froze solid.
"That is why l propose rentingit tit
suits mel"
"Have you been through itl"
"No.n
"Well, was early this morning. And
it has no end of cupboards, and the
darlingest kitchen"
II care nothing about the cupboards
or the Kitchen" declared Mr.. Beavoir,
with good deal of masculine disgust.
81 like the size, aud the style, and the
southern exposure-that is why Pm
gong to rent it.
"You2"-indignantly.
"IP'-stolidly.
"But l was here first today" fairly
sobbed Elsie; "and if that horrid agent
had been in I'd have had the key and
the receipt for the months rent before
this"
81 made up my mind about it last
evening"" said Henry, firmly.
$50 did l., gasped Elsie.
"And mean to have it, he asserted,
more firmly still.
Whereupon the little woman stared at
him with whole world of anger, re-
proach and disappointment in her bright
blue eyes, and then suddenly burst into
tears, pulled down her veil, and hurried
out of the office.
And Mr.. Henry Beauvoir, left in the
supreme possession of the ground and
the sandy-haired clerk, felt himself a
Bluebird, Nero, veritable mon ster.
When the agent came in he ated his
intention.
"The house will not be quite safe and
habitable before the first week in May,
on account of the fresh plastering."
"Then I'll pay you a years rent in adj
van ce from the LIST of May" decided
Henry. at will take me till then, any
how, to select furniture, servants, etc. ;"
When he went down Lasalle street if
teen minutes later he carried with him
the key of the cottage, the receipt for a
years rent, and the consciousness that
he was a specimen of the unpleasant type
specified in children's story books as an
ogre. The worst of it was he retained
the unpleasant conviction all day, and
even carried it up with him to Mrs.
Barry's at supper time
He bowed formally to Miss Singer as
they took their customary seats at the
table. Coldly she returned the saluta-
ton. Somehow affairs were not SO pleas
ant as they had been last evening. Then
the cordial conversation on old fashioned
flowers had made them forget the tough
ness of the meat and the lack of aroma
of the coffee.
After supper he walked over to the
house and went through it. From the
dining-room window two sad, stormy,
woe begone eyes watched him. When
he returned to the boarding establish
ment the key and the receipt were burn
ing his pockets like live Goals.
He came into the lamp-lit empty draw
ing -room, empty save for the figure at
the window. Straight to the window he
went.
"Miss singerl"
"Yes"-iciIy.
''Please take these"
Then, as she turned and looked uncom-
prehendingly at the articles extended, he
explained
"The key of the cottage and the re-
ceipt for years rent"
"Mr. Beavoiri"
II wish you would, upon my word,
dol"-timidly, eagerly. 81 was a brute
to-day-please dol"
al couldn't think of such thing!"
'Elsie"--he came nearer-''your name
is Elsie, isn't it, I'll take aud keep the
cottage if you'll take and keep me! Will
you9'
What did she say7 Well, for awhile
the conversation was quite inaudihle.
Then he said
"We can cultivate verbenas and sweet
peas in the garden"
"And gillyfowers, too, she decided.
"WeIl, if there is space" he said.
"Plenty," she replied, promptly, land
Tor border OF pansles, also. lou know
you like pansies, Henry"
"Yes, Elsie"
Their rivalry was ended The court
ship so wondrously quiet was followed
by wedding to match.
Hitherto both had lived isolated from
the world, for at boarding houses, we
can be as lonely as elsewhere in the mat
ter of real friendship. So they kept
their little secret for a few days, and
then quietly went off one morning to be
married.
81 should like it to be like real we'd
ding" he said, and Elsie, to humor him
wore a veil, and very pretty bride she
made, notwithstanding her thirty years.
And the Bridegroom looked younger,
too. Love had renewed their youth. II
was certainly the quietest wedding ever
known, but it was a very happy one
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