The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-05-15

81 : ! 9. ! !: /. !. ! !. q. !" ! J. J. !! ]. ]. !. !. !.
~ N W a s GREATNESS
.NeNRk SRiNS. with the haste she
M had made. and her
round eyes glis-
tened like pale blue
MOAN SIENH marbles. The Wild
%N& owPurveytook her
hands out of the batch of biscuits she
was kneading up and hurriedly shook
the -four off her arms.
What is it, Mimy2" said she. "Any-
thing wrong about his roosa?"
THE Lord only knows" said Je-
NINA, evidently much excited.
where is hep"
"A-walkin' up an down the best back
parlor like a wild beast, ma'am, at a
showi"
"Bless my souli" painted Mrs. Purvey;
what can nave happened"
And hastily Strengthening her cap
ribbons and tying on a rufaed 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 had
invested in furniture for a boarding
house, and very fairly she succeeded, on
the whole, especially since Mr.. Marlowe,
a 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-
Enlistment now, and although she's
quite genteel-French teacher in q
young ladies' SCHOOL, shall give her a
months notice the very minute I hear
of an eligible single gentleman to take
her place."
"Ain't she regular pay?" asked Miss
Larkspur, shipping off bias pieces of
silk.
"Oh, yes, regular enough, but 1 never
did fancy these pale, stuck-up chits that
have seen better days and wear turned
silk and dyed gloves! She amt a bit
better than I am, and yet she always
has that ~patronizing way with her hat
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..
Godfrey Marlowe, a fine-looking gen
tleman with n healthy, fresh color and
iron-gray w~hiskers, was walking up
and down with his hands in his pockets.
you've been a long time coming, Mrs.
Purvey," said he, a little imperiously.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, sir"
said the widow, all in a f1utter.
"Sit down." said Mr.. Marlowe, mo-
ticning her towards a chair. ST have
something OF, great Importance to say
to you"
"Now, 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!"
tits a little embarrassing" said Mr..
Marlowe, feeling his whiskers du-
biously.
Don't mind me, sir" said Mrs. Pur-
vey.
1.-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.
"But it dces," 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 l speak refers to
-ahem!-another thing, Mrs. Purvey."
la, sir" said Mrs. Purvey, simpering.
"You and 1 aren't feather-headed
young people, Mrs. Purvey, to play
mock modest, are we?" said the bach
elor. so 1 may as well be frank. lam
thinking of marrying, Mrs. Purvey!"
Dear mel" said the landlady, looking
down at the patterns of the carpet.
sand I 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.
ia, SIR" faltered she, I'm SURF 1
never thought of such a thing"
81 rather expected to surprise you,'
said Mr.. Marlowe. But don't rot see,
after all, it's the most natural thing in
the world? Here / am settled down
in a place that exactly suits me; why
should / leave it? Here 1 am, a blunt
old bachelor of 5O-why shouldn't 1
marry a 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 tulle, orange
blossoms and wedding cake.
"What do you say to a month from
Monday next?' demanded Mr.. Marlowe.
"La, sir-since you're so set upon it"
Scan you have things ready"
"Tn do my best, sir" futtered the
widow.
"And, n thing, remember don't
want this matter talked Gbour."
"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 if
nothing was about to happen until the
very wedding day. insisted Mr.. Mar
lowe.