The San Francisco call., 1897-04-25

4 81 "
.A%S4S Mrs. Wilson's fashionable board
| ng-house with bad grace and muttered
limprccations on the scheme of life that
made such proceeding on his part neces-
sary. When the inevitable day on which
ne was expected and accustomed 10 un-
loose his purse strings for the benefit of
his landlady came with its provoking
regularity, De Lancey Pearson was &C.
customed to arise from his couch in
mood that would have done credit to
hungry grizzly bear. and invariably he
pat in bad day of it from the rising of
the sun even unto the going down thereof
and until long thereafter. and all because
ne had to pay for the food that kept his
soul and body together, and De Lancey,
as Mrs. Wilson would svow, seemed to
think that this required a great deal of
sustenance.
Every one in the fashionable boarding
house where De Larccy Pearson lodged,
treakfasted and dined knew at breakfast
time whether it was his day to pay beard
Tor on that day in the month the mans
temper was simply and unequivocaily vile
and his bad humor was certain 10 show
itself before he had been long at table
he carried his bad temper on these occa-
sions 10 the office where he was employed.
and not being in position to bully any
one there, he would spend the day in
the sulks. After carrying the amount oi
money necessary to pay his board around
with him all day, fondIing and smoothing
it and counting it as often as business
would permit him to. he would go home
in the evening and finally miserably capt.
nj nd ~,
OF his expectant IAndlady, with many
grunts and growls and mutterings, all to
the effect that he was charged an excess
i've p!lce for very poor article of board
Fo ali these mutterings and imprecations
Mrs Wilson turned deaf ear, for Pear
son was "sure pay" if he did make a fus.
a bout it, and except for this ono short.
coming OF his he was really a desirable
boarder
On each recurring payday" Pearson
would swear that he would change his
clearinghouse and ind cheaper place in
stanter. The first time he did this he fright
ened Mrs. Wilson, who thought she was
surely going to lose one OF her best-paying
boarders. But Pearson didn't leave then,
nor did he the next time that he made
the same threat, nor the next. nor The
next; and so the landlady got used to his
recurring menaces and ceased 10 pay any
attention to them.
One payday George de Lancey Pearson
went home in a particularly nasty temper,
and found Mrs. wilson IN tears. Pearson
couldn't believe his eyes. Why should the
landlady cryP What reason did she nave
TO shed tears? Wasn't sne gabbling,
grasping wretch, with nothing TO do but
10 squeeze hard-earned dollars from the
pockets of deserving young men, giving
them nothing but few mouthfuls of food
daily in return? Huh! She had nothing
10 cry for.
What's The matter with you, pray?H
asked Pearson, scathingly.
Mrs Wilson shifted and snuffied few
moments without replying and then man.
aged to gasp out: Tine house-owner mas
raised the-the rent!'
Then Pearson showed Just what brute
he was. He laughed aloud and pranced
around like a jackanapes in his tiendish
glee.
Raised the rent, has he?p he finally
gasped. Raised the rent, eh? Ho! hol
hel he! Raised the rent! Glad of i.
Glad of ii, dye hear me? Wish he'd
doubled it! Ho! ho! no! Wish he had
tripIed il! Dye hear3 Wish ne had
Irip,ed it! Now you know what it is to be
in the hands of graspiug old skinfiint
don't ye? Now it won't be all take anc
no give with ye, will it? On, no! Ho
no! Got to pay out some of your money
now, haven't your" and Pearson agair
canced idioticaly around the rom.
"But-but 1--we cot--eot to raise
raise The price OF bo-board," sobbed Mrs
Wilson, as though her heart were break
ing, land II nate to-to ha-have to do
dOit
What" shrieked Pearson, as h,
jump:d straight up into he air and cam,
down with both heels and a resoundin,
thump. What! Raise the price o
board? You raise the price of board
YOu-you-you-you- Oh-h, this is to,
much Raise the price of board HI
hal Ha hal Ha har And with thi
mirthless cackle Pearson topped all of
heap in big armchair and gazed crazil,
at his Iandlady.
Mrs. Wilson braced up. "Ycs, Mr.
Pearson" said she, calmly enough now
The owner of this house has increased
the rent materially. and / will have TO in
crease my nrices. Your board will here
after be SO month more than il is now
"Pm hanged if it will - shouted Pear
son, jumping TO his feet. "I won't hay,