The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-15
CUPID'S CENSUS.
It Exposed a Fraud and
United Two Loving
Hearts.
A BOARDING HOUSE TALE
The Mysterious Star Boarder, The
Clerk in the Attic and the
Iandlady's Pretty Daughter.
A BOARDING HOUSE TALE
nY CURTIS KINaLAKE.
Ccoppfghtlsso, blythe United Press.)

They were between the first landing
and the hallway, and the glimmering
light below left them so completely in the
shadow that even If anyone emerged from
the parlor they were hidden from obser-
yntion. 1t was from the upstairs region
that they apprehended danger, as the
frequent fearful glances of the girl in
room for him to dispose of his left arm
comfortably he had put it around her
waist. Lovers are great economtzers of
space--and they were lovers.
Madge. darling" he said, I shall have
to leave this house. cannot bear the
irony and contempt which your mother
heaps upon me every day at table"
What if mother should descend and
catch us here, said the girl, irrelevantly,
letting her head sink with a sigh on his
shoulder, an act which bespoke anything
but a desire to escape from her comprom-
Using situation until necessity compelled
her to do So His lips met hers, but his
thoughts seemed TO be running in a
sternly practical rather than sentimen-
tai channel, for he continued land have
not paid my board for six weeks. It's too
bad. y
Then you certainly can't leave,
George she murmured ma would
never let your things go out of the house
until you had paid her, and how are you
to Day her until you get some WORK? Be-
sides, what would become of me?
should marry that ogre on the second
floor front; know / should. / couldn't
resist Mas opportunities without your
ever-present love to sustain me.
A pause ensued, which George devoted
to sustaining her in the orthodox lover
like way, a proceeding which SIZE sub
mited to with demurrer which was not
altogether demurrer.
II feel awfully blue, dearest he said.
~ nsf rot rrtT l.. ali
answers l sent to the advertisements in
yesterdays paper. don't know whet Ill
do.n
"Oh don't get downhearted, George.
Something will surely turn up. Perhaps
Smalley and Smart will take you back
into their Office
'They will never do that. 1t is very
hard to be suspected of dishonesty, when
one is really innocent. Thoy let me re.
sign, you know; but they are convinced
that have robbed them andn-passion-
ately-"f sometimes think that even you
must distrust me.
shall never do that, George she re-
piled with little squeeze of his hand,
and directly you get another situation,
will be yours, even If Mr.. Philip Van
Setback is a bank president and million
ARE. as Ma says he is 1t is lucky Ma
does not suspect why you lett Smalley
and Smart's.. She Is SO suspicious and
unbelievingn
Il believe that old villain is fraud--a
delusion and snare Why doesn't he
show himself in his tue colors and say
what he is instead OF tusinuating himself
into your mothers affections, and letting
us all surmise this, that and the other. -
Perhaps he is nearly as poor as you
are DEAR
Then he must be very poor indeed, ("
he said with little laugh.
All yes, bat love you.n
s'Then | am rich indeed. But, Madce,
have an idea-pll explode the mystery.
Ill-what was that2"
There was a noise In the hall. The
front door closed with a bang and a
heavy step began ascending the stairs.
1t was Mr.. Philip Van Setback returning
from his office down town. Madge picked
up her skirts and flew, but not quick
enough to prevent the old gentleman
from catching glimpse of her white
dounces as she turned the bend in the
stairway.
When Mr.. Van Schaick reached the
landing. he looked keeniy into the young
mans face. and said simply, II thought
So" A moment later his door was heard
to close on the second floor and Madge
returned with very white face.
"'Sh," she said, Il am going down to
the kitchen. Ma will begin TO wonder
where am. We are lost"
mo" he replied, drawing her to him,
81 believe have an idea which contains
the possibilities of our redemption I'll
Join the census"
II would not hear of it-Fifty cents day
way out in Texas, and then when you
left the army you'd be unfit for anything.
We couldn't possibly live on fifty cents a
day though would endure anything for
your sake. = All right ma, Pm
coming There she isl How wish was
an orphan. Coming"
What dear girl she is" said George
Darrell to himself as he went slowly to his
little roorn near the roof And then as her
antithesis suggested itself to him, he
added vehemently, But what tryant
in the world / wo-." His hand
dropped into his empty pocket and he
stopped short.
Mrs. McMurray, Madge's mother was
a strong-minded Scotch lady, the derelict
of an officer in the British army, who had
inbued her with distinctly aristocratic
aspirations and left her-to fight the battle
of life with an only daughter, for whom
she had ambitious IDEAS and an appalling
number of debts. Mrs. McMurray had
disposed OF her debts in the perfunctory
manner usual With the aristocracy,. and
her sole care was now to dispose of her
daughter with equal advantage. She
therefore strongly disapproved OF that
young lady's ayowed attachment TO her
penniless boarder, George Darrell, and
only her Scotch notions of economy pre-
vented her from incontinently turning
that love-sick youth into the pitilass world.
The fact that George Darrell owed for
several weeks board was at once his
salvation and his curse
Captain McMurray after having finished
his term of service in India and being
placed upon the half-pay list, had settled
in New York with some indefinite idea
OF making a fortune out OF scheme OF
lob. ind