The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-29
ONLY An Old lANDLADY.
AND SHE DIDN'T MIND HER OWN
BUSINESS EITHER.
This Minded Her-NOw She IL Gone
"A Tenement Stands Where the
Boarding House Formerly Was


image OF Mrs Sieinhauer, my Eighth street
iandlady. in whose house I spent some Of
MY nappiest as we'll as SEINE of my gloonat-
est moments n this city. As l write this
l can almost See her. !nunching her purssd
lips and the knob OF her red bandane DAN
Cling from her forehead, as she laeors UP
the carpeted stairs.
Good morning Mrs. Steinhauer." would
call down to her. 10 show that l was up and
to save her the trouble Of climbing up 10
my room and knocking at the door until
she made sure that my falling asleep again
was out of the question l was always
anxious TO foresGaii her, but IL was not
every morning that / WAS up before of
my own accord. for from my native country
1 had imported the habit of sitting UP late
and poSponing my hardest work, as we'll
as the most enjoyable reading. until mid
night: and so. Al least three mornings out
of every seven. there would come a gentle
rap on my door.
1T is getting late. Mr.. - would then
hear in soft. soothing German
All right. Mrs. Steinhauer. I will De
down in a few minutes. If few seconds
passed without my landiady hearing any
noise through the door she would rap again
more dsterminedly than before, and, like
an anxious. pauen, mother, she would say:
The coffee is just excellent and II you
De thrown out. Besides, yon have your
lesson 10 review. haven't you!
Sometimes / thought this too much, and
making mental vow 10 find a landlady
who knew how 10 mind her own business,
/ would tell Mrs. Steinhauer that II was all
right about my lessons. and that | didn't
care In what state her coffee was going to
be.
At this she would take offense and start
TO retrace her steps. but hardly reached the
edge OF the landing when she would pause,
and after few moments of indecision tip
toe up to my door again
Il don't care If you are angry and you
do insult me-" she would then say excited
ly. You know can't let you go on Sleep
ing TIL your breakfast is all good for moth
ing and you are late for college. Do make
an effort and get up, pray. know how
unpleasant 1t Is. but It's only matter OF
one second. Once you are on your feet
and the cold water touches your face, you
out of bed
This was irresistible. and a quarter or
haf an hour later l would find myself In
the dining room thanking Mrs. Steinhauer
ana apologizing fer my rudeness.
one evening one of the hoarders praised
play which was then given in a Broad
way theater till l said l must 60 and see it
the same evening.
=. And how about your lessons?" asked
MIS- Steinhauer. half in fun and half In
earnest.
.oh, Lessons be hangedH' answered,
with irritation: If am to let them stand
In the way of everything else / might as
wen pury myself alive In a monastery"
supper over. / went to my room to dress
for the theater. But 1 had not been five
minutes there when | heard the voice Of
my fellow boarder, asking me to let him in
Couldn't you postpone going to the the
ater! he said, with a smile but anxious
ly. You see. Mrs. Stefnhauer thinks I
ought not to have urged you. and that you
have your lessons to study"
N Of he 81 7
was going TO have that l took fire. What
business had that foolish old woman to
watch over me. anyhow? Why my own
mother lad given me more freedom than
this stranger in whose house | had taken
a room by mere chance only a few months
ago. l was determined to put an end 10 II
once for all, and went on with my toilet in
a rage, but my fellow boarder asked me TO
stay at home for AIS sake, because other
wise the blame would fall on him, and he
could not bear to see Mrs. Steinhauer's re-
proachful eyes. He had promised her to
get me 10 stay at home and study my les
sons. and he was now begging me, almost
with tears, to make good his promise
AS TO this other bcarder. ne considered
himself IN the landlady's debt for making
a sober man OF him. He was an educated
fellow OF good family. and he lived on a
modest little income from some real estate
somewhere In Connecticut. When he first
came to see Mrs Steinhauer's vacant room
she surveyed him from head to foot,
scanned his face with a searching look.
and then. blushing deeply. she faltered out:
Il am sorry sir, but the room IS let. Eve
jest let II"
'Then why do you keep that notice out.
and what did you let me see the room for?''
he almost yelled.
She colored still more violently, dropped
her eyes like a eulprit school girl and made
no reply.
This somehow Modified him, aud he said.
Maybe you don't Ike the looks Of mee''
AT this Mrs Steinhauer nodded her head
at first t.mdly. and then more resolutely.
Excuse me- SIT j may be mistaken
but then I don't mean any harm. You see.
l somehow think your face looks like that
of a man who sometimes-eNcuse me, sir
/ mean no harm at al-who sometimes
drinks a little too much" And dropping
her glance once more she fell TO Juggling
at her apron.
The man was dumbfounded How did
she know Il? Nobody had ever taken him
for drunkard by his face before. He was
sure there was nothing 10 hetray his weak
ness IN hf< looks. He was going TO siam
the door. but the childlike manner Of the
old woman checked him, and he asked
rather hashfully:
What makes you think sof
Excuse me once more. sir, but my heart
tells me so. I can just see It In the look OF
YOUR eyes Oh | have had trouble enough
in my llfe." she concluded with sigh
The young man protested. as gayly As he
could, that she was mistaken, and asked
her in fairness to him TO let him have
the room and convince herself that she
wronged him. There was something so
attractive in the wo,nan's anxiety In her
childhke attitudes and IN her signs. that
the desire 10 be in her house was irresistl-
BILE and when he assured her he did not
drink Ne thought he was telling the truth
for at that moment he was firmly CON-
WINGED that all his troubles were a thing OF
the past.
Mrs Steirhauer needed a boarded badly.
as she told him, with another sigh and
after exactfng a more emphatic assertion
OF his temperance she lei him move IN
He had not been there a month before
her mind was tisahused Rut once ne was
her ledger. he vas a member Of her fam
ilv and instead Of asking him to move
or. she would sigh ana cry over him, and
pierce him with those reproachful eyes OF
hers which were more cruel than faggers
ne ueed 10 saw til she broke him ~ his
unfortunate ha bit and then he became
Still iearer 20 her and she watched over
him more anxiousiy than sVe~.
"What my own mother cou.d not 10 she
al by that look OF ftrS" he would say
Wherever any ~ the baarders falg III
Mrs Ste!nhauer would devote herself -
him with A sort Ct gusfo. as IL gre relished
he work 50 kasniy that she vas glad TIE