The Forrest City times., 1897-04-02

hands out of the batch of biscuits she
was kneading up and hurriedly shook
the flour off her arms.
What is 1t, Mimy?" said she. ANY
thing wrong about his room?"
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
show!"
BLESS my soul!" painted Mrs. Purvey;
what can have happened?"
And hastily Strengthening her cap
ribbons and tying on rutiied black silk
apron the Widow Purvey made haste to
give audience to her best boarder.
The Widow Purvey was fat, fair and
so, with little capital. which she mad
invested in furniture for 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.
"Gents 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-
tablishment now, and although she's
quite genteel-French teacher in
young ladies' SCHOOL, shall give her
months notice the very minute / hear
of an eligible single gentleman to take
her place"
"Ain't she reg'lar pay?" asked Miss
Larkspur, shipping off bias pieces of
silk.
"Oh, yes, reg'lar enough, but I never
did fancy these pale, stuck-up chits that
have seen better days and wear turned
silk md dyed gloves! She amt bit
better than / am. and yet 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..
Godfrey Marlowe. a 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 long time coming. Mrs.
Purvey," said he, little imperiously.
''I'm sorry to keep you waiting, sir"
said the widow, all in a fiutter.
''Sit down." said Mr.. Marlowe, mo-
tioning her towards a chair. 81 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"
"It's little embarrassing" said Mr..
Marlowe, feeling his whiskers du-
biously.
Don't mind me. SIR" said Mrs Pur-
vey.
"The fact is" said Mr.. Marlowe, I'm
thinking of making change"
I'm sorry the place don't suit you.
sir" faltered the widow.
"But it Does" said Mr.. Marlowe. "I
shall not leave you, Mrs. Purvey. Your
nullagatawney 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 l aren't feather-headed
young people, Mrs. Purvey, to play
mock modest, are we?" said the bach
elor. 80 may as well be frank. | lam
thinking of marrying, Mrs. Purveyl"
Dear mel" said the landlady, looking
down at the patterns of the carpet.
"And ] dare say you can guess to
whom" said Mr.. Marlowe, in high good
humor.
Mrs. Puryey twisted her black silk
apron string around and around, hardly
able to believe her own ears.
La, sir" faltered she. I'm sure I
never thought of such thing"
II rather expected to surprise you"
said Mr.. Marlowe. "But don't you see,
after all, it's the most natural thing in