Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-06-30
Love in Lodgings
CHAPTER XII-CoNrINUED.
by FLORENCE WARDEN.

stitution may be ruined, and mans
own relations know nothing of it at
first. Look at your father, for in
stance. We had narrow escape of
losing him this time; we must all
thank heaven that his precious life
has been spared to our prayers. All!
And am forgetting him, and he can
not get on without me-" The affec-
Tomato creature spun round en- the
doorstep, turning anxious eyes upon
the treasure, who had got as far as
moment a fresh solicitude sent her
whirling round again. ''And my own
Harry. my youngest, my dearest
lamb, where is he?"
Here he is, mother" said the rest
In otficious chorus, as they pushed
and dragged forward the blushing
boy.
Poor Mrs. Monk seemed rather dis
concerted at first to find herself face
TO face with a 'lamb" something
under six feet in height, and it may
be it was not all JOY deep down in the
recesses of her tender heart to find
how we'll he had thriven away from
the fold. However she made the
best Of it, and twined him up in the
veil with suffocating effusion.
In the meantime her husband, with
an ominous frown on his handsome
face, had reached the top step, and
received the respectful greetings Of
his sons with curt nod. That letter
of Temples in which the four lads
had all dared, for the first time, TO
express decidedly Independent
opinion, ranked in his mind. He
felt, though his wife did not, that
there was struggle impending be-
tween himself and them. They had
dared to think for themselves, and
his empire as autocrat was threat
ened. Like most lazy men, he
thought great deal the better Of
himself for not doing any work; the
fact set him upon an eminence, above
his sons on the one hand and his late
father on tho other. He dismissed
his valet and the lady's maid at the
door of the dining-room, entered,
and allowed his wife to diyest him Of
few of his superfuous outer cover
ings.
And so hear, young gentlemen, !"
he began, in the tone of schoolmas-
ter who has the cane behind his back,
that you are fools enough to take
the part OF these Hutchinson people
against rne, and consequently against
yourselves.
Temple and Cameron looked at
each other, to settle between them
selves which of the two should speak
first. But before either had time to
open his mouth, the door, which had
been left ajar, was pushed open, and
Lizer came in with salver in her
hand. on which was a letter.. Her
entrance dried up the springs of in
spiration in both the elder lads.
They could only stare helplessly at
the girl as she threw an inquisitive
glance from Mrs. Monk to Mr.. Monk,
stopped and hesitated.
Mr.. Monk beckoned her forward.
"What have you got there" he
asked.
The answer came like bomb-shell
into the horror-struck group.
"a letter, sir, from the lodger up
ttairs."
There was a moments dead silence
rs the head of the family, reading the
curt address, ITO the Landlord" on
the envelope, took the letter, opened
it, and after glancing through the
contents, read it aloud in q voice Of
thunder:
"Sir-When you inveigled me me into talsinv
apartments In your disgracefully misconducted
establishment, you informed me that you cocld
give the highest reference will be glad IL
you Will now inform me to whom those highest
references referred, as 1t seems to me utterly
incredible that any sane person ould ever
have been satisfied with the random arranye-
ments, the insufficient attendance, and the
utterly abominable and poisonous cookery
which to-day, for the second time during my
short stay, characterize your singular estab-
lishmeni. The only conclusion at which / can
arrive is that the whole househo d is subject to
periodical attacks OF helpless intoxication,
and that on such occasions everything Is left
to the incompetent young person whom in any
other house should have called the house
maid shall leave next Tuesday IL 1 can su y
port existence under these circumstances until
them l cannot be expected to give the usual
weeks notice. and shall most certainly not
pay another weeks rent
yours truly,
JAMES CHARLES FRERE
Before Mr.. Monk could give utter
ance to the outburst Of indignation
which they could hear gathering in
his tones, the stolid Lizer, who had
retreated step by step until she was
just inside the doorway, placidly an
nounced, as il it had been merely the
postscript to the letter:
"And please, sir, there's Miss
Hutchinson at the front door, SIR"
And she disappeared to let the lady
in.
Mr.. Monk sank into a chair, alb
solutely speechless with rage. AS IL
it had not been enough to discover
the disgraceful humiliation his sons
had subjected him, in letting out his
house in Furnished apartments, one
OF the two persons he hated most in
the world, the two persons who had,
he conceived. conspired to rob him of
half his rightful property, had dared
TO come to his very doors. And on
the day following his curt dismissal