The record-union., 1894-08-30
PERMANENT B0ARDERS.
Dealers in Scandal of Every Known
Variety.
Peeplng Into the characteristics OF
People Who Meddle With the
Affairs of Others.


The voice was distinctly maculine and,
moreover, had decidedly impatient ring
in it, so l put the finishing touches 10
my dinner toilet with more than my ac-
customed alacrity. When mans
hungry he is apt to get cross, and when
he is cross he is apt to get Indigestion,
therefore l make it a habit to be ready
promptly every night at 6, but this day
was an exception, as | had been holding
sort of informal reception all afternoon.
If you want TO hear all the very latest
gossip and the choicest morsels of
scandel just take up your residence
where permanent boarders hold full
sway. 1t had been entirely too hot to go
out the afternoon Of which l speak. so
had stayed in the house, had been made
the unwilling repository of secrets galore
concerning every woman in the house,
and been made late to dinner in the bar
gain.
When we entered the diningroom. |
saw that Mr.. and Mrs. Parvenu, who sat
at the next table, were in before us. Mr..
Parvenu is q blond OF uncertain age,
though | am rather inclined to the sneak
ing suspicion that he hasn't got over his
juvenile days or ways yet. He Is ad-
dicted to mild tlirtations when Mrs. Z. is
not looking, and it has been darkly
whispered that he is fond Of posing as
gay and festive bachelor when his su-
perior fraction is away. Mrs. P. is
pretty, in a dollified sort OF way; she
aims to be the four hundred and first
scincillatlng light of Portland's twink
ling society satellites. Whether she gets
there or not remains to be seen.
At the center table sits a solitary radi-
ant vision in gorgeous pink gown, short
befrizzled hair and seraphic expression.
This is Mrs. Highly. There is Mr..
Highly too. but he seldom appears in
public The women hate her most COR
daily, and whisper dark rumors about
her. / have noticed that the only one
thing the ladies of the house are per-
tectly unanimous upon is IN their de-
nunciation of Mrs. Highly. Perhaps
the secret of this may be found in the
fact that all the gentlem en- of the house
are quite as unanimous in their praise of
her.
The Prim family sit at the next table,
1t consists of Mrs. Prim, the materfam-
ilias; Mr.. Theopolis Prim, the son; and
Miss Angelique Prim, the daughter. /
suppose there was Prim senior once
upon time but guess he is defunct now
as no mention is ever made OF him.
"Theopolis is nice boy, but he has
never yet been known to speak in the
presence of any mortal man." The man
with me tells me this in all candor as he
balances a bit Of fish on the end of his
fork and then looks subdued and injured
when | laugh at him. / rather think
TheopoliS can speak because his sister
Angelique told me the other day that
Theopolis had positively forbidden her to
speak to Mrs. Highly under any consid-
Grafton. This IS pretty hard lines for
AngeliQue as Theopolis was seen not
long ago tenderly eIn bracing Mrs. High
fly in a dark corner.
Mrs. Highly takes it coolly. She even
goes so far as to laugh at Theopolis, which
rather upsets the equinimity of his sister,
who doesn't know OF this proceeding.
Angelique is a product of what repres-
sion does for girl; to all outward ap-
pearances she is a model of propriety and
all that her name implies. The other day
she quite startled me by throwing off her
mask and allowing me to catch a glimpse
of her real self. She had come down to
my room TO see me and brought her in
evitable sewing with her. She stitched
industriously away for a time and then
threw it clear across the room, leaned
back in her chair with her hands behind
her head and said she would like nothing
more in the whole world than to have
good smoke. mot that like smoking,
mind you; it always makes me heastly
sick, and tar women IL is especially alb
horrent, but / have been good so long
that | am fairly dying to shock mamma
and Theopolis by doing something real
Out1e.o
whispered my companion as couple en-
tered the dining room. 1t is another case
of december and May, aud so far as any
OF us can see has been very happy. May
was poor girl teaching the young idea
to sprout, and when December came
a-wooing who could blame her for ac-
cepting the protection thus offered?
There is slight commotion near the
door, occasiOned by the entrance of Mr..
and Mrs. Paul Pry. The latter spies me and
makes break for my table. "My dear
est, may | sit down here" she asks in an
appealing little way; then, not waiting
for permission, seats herself beside me.
The man with me gives an audible groan,
which | endeavor TO smother by cough
and a kick administered under the table.
my dear,n begins Mrs. Pry in her
most confidential manner, in stage
whisper, "haye you heard the very latest
news?"
| confessed that l had not, at the same
time repressing an inclination to say
that l wasn't addicted to gossip"
MIR. Blank won't MIND my whisper
Ing, Will he ~ was the next query.
Whereupon Mr.. B. informed her in his
deepest base that he could become deaf,
dumb and blind upon an instance notice,
and as an evidence of the truth of his
statement took up the evening paper and
buried himself behind 1t. Mrs. Pry gaZed
upon him moment-she never does
know how to take Blank anyway-but
she soon recovered herself, and informed
me that Mr.. and Mrs. Flyaway had Just
had a perfectly awful row over a ring or
something.
You know, my dear, my room is right
next TO hers, and, with the transom open,
how could / help but hear?"
l thought to myself when she heard
something unpleasant going on in the
next room that she might have shut the
transom, but l kept the thought to N.Y.
self.
Il heard him ask her for the ring, and
when she said she didn't have it, he said,
oh, so loud and tierce'i-here she gave an
audible shudder-I know, madam. who
has got it, and if it isn't forthcoming in
an hour you will take the conseuuences.'
/ was horribly frightened and almost
held my breath to hear what he would
do next. Then he rang the bell furiously,
sent note out by messenger, and in a
few minutes the boy came back with the
ring Here she paused, then ratified on
again, Il don't care what they say about
her; Flyaway isn't bit better than
she is.''
Here she nodded mysteriously, and
looked as though she could say great
deal more il she only would. didn't