The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-06-24
Select STORY.
A MYSTERIOUS LODGER.

III 9 naru 10 cOnleSS IL, particularly haiu
for a woman, but l am obliged to admit
that am no longer as young as once
was Twenty-Five years ago | was widow,
as l am today, but then was 35 and today
| am 60. Then was attractive; today
| don't know what | am When james
that was my husbands name--died, he
left me unprovided for, and, as | had a
home full of good furniture and lease on
house in good position, | was advised
by my friends to let my rooms; in fact, to
do what now would call keep lodging
house, but which, then, simply announc-
ed by slip of paper at the door, vnlgarly
called "fag of distress, as furnished
rooms, without board for single gentlemen.
Well, had little trouble in letting all
my rooms, except the second floor front,
the best in the house, and for this the ap-
plicants all said that | asked too much.
However, stood on my dignity, and would
not come down, and so two months passed
with my best apartment empty and myself
fretting about it. One day the chamber
maid, whose duty it was to attend to the
street door, told me that there was gen.
tleman in the parlor who wanted to see
the second floor front, and in answer to
my question brought forth by her con-
temptuous way of using the word "man,
when in all other cases it was gentleman" !"
she said
"He's a rough lookin person, ma am,
kinder country lookin', and not 50 very
young, nayther, though, mebbe, he may he
single"
| had my prejudices from Norah before
| saw my would be lodger, and went to
the parlor to find man of about 30, ai
not attractive face, which showed expos
ure, rough hands, exhibiting labor, and Of
very careless dress, though everything he
hard on, including costly diamond scarf
pin and ring, denoted that he was not
poor. However, | was not as poor then
as am now, Ia consequently not as
mercenary, and did not care for the man
as a second floor front Notwithstanding
this. and when he asked to see it, met
him with price, putting on 10 shillings
week more, thinking to scare bin off at
once
This did not seem to disturb him, and
so | could do nothing else but show 1T.
When did he merely walked in, not even
doing as people always do, look at the fur
piture. but stalked over to one Of the win
dows, and gazing earnestly out of it for
few moments, turned to me and said, with
out hardly looking me in the face "lll
take it, ma am; and here's months rent
in advance" and taking from his pocket a
handful of gold, he gave me the money
before | well knew what | was about.
What could | do? There was nothing in
his appearance positively wrong, and his
manner was unexceptionable. l mumbled
something about receipt, but he waived
THAT, and only saying that he would take
possession that evening, he went away.
In the afternoon the carrier dropped two
large trunks, and then for the first time !
knew that my lodger's name was haiph
Brown, and by the tickets pasted on the
trunk saw that he had travelled great
deal. That evening he followed his trunks
and sent Norah TO see if he wanted any
thing or would have cup of tea. She
vent up with an evident smile of disgust
on her face and was gone ten minutes,
when she returned smiling from the crown
of her head and said: E'share, misthress,
Misther Browns parfck gintleman, He
didn't want a thing in the gurreld but
some hot wather livery mornin at o'clock,
an'd'ye see now what he gave me an says
| shall have 1t every month riglar, and
Norah displayed sovereign.
Oh oh thought I, is that the way the
cat Jumps? If so, I'm not too Independent
| to take advantage of it; and then | asked
Norah what Mr. Brown was doing, think
ing. of conrse, she would say he was nm
packing his trunks
aShure, nothin', ma'am, but iookin out
at the windy"
Looking ont of the window Why,
that was all he did when he took the rooms
and that's what ! found him doing the
next morning, when | went to his room TO
ask him il there was anything could do
to add to his comfort. and that's all Norah
found him doing when she entered his
room to attend to her duties therein, after
this.
Mr.. Brown was coldly polite vben !
called on him, but unaPproachable. ne
wanted nothing, he said, and, korah de-
clared. asked no questions, not even my
name. but only looked out of the window