The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-04-08

@Wfy Ow PurVey took her
hands out of the batch of biscuits she
was ltneading up and hurriedly shook
the flour off her arms.
What is it, Mimy?" said she. any
cling wrong about his room?"
The Lord only knows" said Je
NINA, evidently much excited.
where is he ?"
'A-walltin' up an down the best back
parlor like a wild beast maam, at a
show"
"Bless my soul" painted Mrs. Purvey;
what can have happened?"
And hastily Strengthening her cap
ribbons and tying on a ruffled black silk
apron the Widow Purvey made haste to
give audience to her best boarder.
The Widow Purvey was fat, fair and
so, with a little capital, which she mad
invested in furniture for a boarding
house, and very f, rly she succeeded, on
the whole, especially since Mr.. Marlowe,
ii whimsical old bachelor engaged in
the China tea trade, had taken her best
front room at her own price.
scents are always better than la
dies" said Mrs. Purvey to her intimate
friend, Miss Larkspur, the milliner.
Mrs. Hyde is the only lady in my es-
Establishment now, and although she's
quite genteel-French teacher in 4
young ladies' school shall give her
months notice the very minute l hear
of an eligible single gentleman to take
her place"
"Ain't she regular pay?" asked Miss
Larkspur, shipping off bias pieces of
silk
ooh, yes, regular enough, but never
did fancy these pale, stuck-up chits that
have seen better days and wear turned
silk and dyed gloves! She amt bit
better than / am, and vet she always
has that patrOnizing way with her that
you'd think she was a princess and we
her hired maids"
And thus matters stood on the OctO-
Der morning when the Widow Purvey
hurried up to the back parlor where Mr.
GcOffrey Mariowe, fine-looking gen
tleman with healthy, fresh color and
irOn-gray whiskers, was walking up
and down with his hands in his pockets.
''You've been a long time coming, Mrs
P,ryey," said he, a little imperiously.
'I'm sorry to keep you waiting, sir"
said the widow, all in tiutter
''Sit down." said Mr. Marlowe. po-
ticning her towards a chair. ~ have
something of great Importance to say
to you"
Nov, he is going TO tell me that the
place don't suit, and he's going TO
change his boarding house." said Mrs.
Purvey to herself, feeling her heart
beat within her; but she only smiled
family and said: "Indeed!"
Its a little embarrassing" said Mr..
Marlowe, feeling his whskers du-
biously.
Don't mind me, sir" said Mrs. Pur-
xey
THE fact is" said Mr.. Marlowe, I'm
thinking of making a change"
I'm sorry the place don't suit you,
sir faltered the widow.
"'Rut it does" said Mr.. Marlowe. 81
shall not leave you, Mrs. Purvey. Your
mugalatawney soup suits me exactly,
and you've caught my precise ideas on
salad dressing and curry sauce. No.
The change of which | speak refers to
-ahem!-another thing, Mrs. Purvey."
''La, sir" said Mrs. Puryey, simpering.
"You and | aren't feather-headed
young people, Mrs. Puryey, to play
mock modest, are we?" said the bach
elor. $50 may as well be frank lam
thinking of marrying, Mrs. Purvey!"
Dear mel" said the landlady, looking
down at the patterns of the carpet.
"And l dare say you can guess to
whom" said Mr.. Marlowe, in high good
humor.
Mrs. Purvey twisted her black silk
apron string around and around, hardly
able to believe her own ears.
LA, SIR" faltered she. I'm sure |
never thought of such a thing"
81 rather expected to surprise you
said Mr. Marlowe. But don't you see,
after all, it's the most natural thing in
the world? Here | am settled down
in place that exactly suits me; why
should l leave it? Here | am, a blunt
ioId bachelor of 5O-why shouldn't |
inarry widow who, like myself, has
seen something of the world?"
A widow! That settled the question.
Sure enough, sir" said Mrs. Purvey,
feeling as if she were soaring up into a
world of white satin and tule, orange
blossoms and wedding cake.
+'What do you say to a month from
Monday next?" demanded Mr.. Marlowe
"I,a, sir-since you're so set upon it"
Gan you have things ready?"
I'm do my BEST sir" futtered tl.e
widow.
"And, one thing, remember don't
want this matter talked about"
'No. to be sure not" said Mrs. Purvey,
accustomed to defer in all things to the
whims of her lodger.
Let affairs go on just exactly as il
rothing was about to happen until the
very wedding day insisted Mr.. Mar
lowe.
Certainly, SIR" said Mrs. Purvey
'"Thnt'll do" said Mr.. Marlowe. eve
understand each other, don't we?"
Mrs. Purvey nodded and giggled
''rhen | won't detain you any longerl''
said Mr.. Marlowe, deliberately walking