The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-08
FL|R1AI|0NS. II,


In Harmony Until an Els-
mont Of Disoord. . Pretty
Girl, Was introduced. -.
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No boarding house could have BEEF
more homelike than Miss Conant's.
was founded and conducted for the bene
fit Of its inmates, and II Miss Conant In
cidentally placed few dollars In the saw
ings bank every week nobody could &C
cuse her of being mercenary. She woult
not take doubtful boarder at any price
In the neighborhood Of Lincoln parA
Miss Conant's was landmark, mode
Of permanency and conservatism in the
shifting life Of the city.
Miss Conant called her boarders "my
children" She had the true mother in.
stinct, and though time had brought her
gray hairs and fate had denied her q
husband and children of her own she had
compensation by adopting her boarders.
She loved and scolded them with an
abandoned naturalness that was almost
if not quite maternal.
Miss Conant had one iron bound, unal-
terabfe rule. Within her hospitable walls
there were to be-no fiirtations. In the
beginning she believed this rule to be
necessary. Her children" were of both
sexes and unmarried, and the landlady
had heard it said that entanglements
sometimes arose which destroyed the
| peace and sedateness of home life. So
she made her rule. It had never been
violated. As Miss Conant said, there was
mo nonsense" about her young ladies' and
nrt Nhn,, ~
rem. The gentlemen played sixty-six
and discussed horses and pugists and
otherwise occupied themselves as respect
able young men usually do. They met
the ladies respectfully, even calamity,
but so far as the tender passion was con-
cerned they might have been wooden
men.
Perhaps the young ladies secretly
scorned the rule. Perhaps II the young
men had tempted them there might have
been firtations and consequent heartach
and misery. But the temptations were
lacking, there had been no violation of
the rule and no instructions in Miss
Commits little realm.
Until Marcella came
Miss Conant was doubtful of Marcella
at the first moment, and the landlady
looked from the unquestionable reference
to the questionable young woman with
great hesitation.
1.-THE girl is too pretty" said Miss Co
nant, speaking to herself Of course. "She
has no business to be so pretty, though,
Of course, she can't help it. III admit
that she seems modest and quite ladylike.
But she is pretty, and my young gentle
men are mere human beings. l should
hate to demoralize them"
Marcella was all unconscious of the
white haired landlady's thought and nev-
er dreamed how near Miss Conant came
to saying there wasn't spare room in
the house.
The girl stood there, looking SO inno-
cent and childlike, and so altogether I'M
conscious Of her bewitching beauty, that
Miss Conant's doubts vanished.
'There cant be any harm in that child,
and she certainly needs home. I'll take |
her. Bless her pretty hearth So Miss
Conant thought, and so it was decided.
Unwise Miss Conant! What have you
done? Do you really think you can with
safety bring this bright and seductive !
creature into your household? Your young
men may be like wooden men and utterly
free from nonsense. Yet they have eyes
in their heads, and at one time they had
hearts in their bosoms. Unwise Miss
Conant!
So whispered discretion, but the land
lady refused to listen. Perhaps it was
fate.
Within day Miss Conant observed
subtle signs of decentralization. Mr.. Craig,
who for years had regularly bolted his
food with great haste, now ate daintily
and fingered at the table. Mr.. Smith
wore his best suit to the Office The card
game was neglected, and the gentlemen
gathered in the parlor. Will Caruthers
talked softly and cntertainngly to Miss
Jones, though he watched Marcella out
Of the corner of his eye and bushed
when she looked his way. Yes; Will
blushed 1t was remarkable thing.
Miss Jones glared at Marcella, and Miss
Beaver called Mr.. Smiths attention to
the fact that the new girl painted her
face. Mr.. Smith pretended to believe it.
The next day Marcella had three bou-
quets, and though she hid them in her
room the landlady was not blind
The Developments of month filled
Miss Conant with dismay. She felt it
ler duty to speak to Miss Jones'
II am really quite surprised at you,"
said the landlady. "Why, if it were not
20 impossible and absurd / should say
hat you and Will almost seem devoted to
Zach other"
81 am trying to save him from that
|oll, that-creature," said Miss Jones'
"Marcella?" asked the astonished land
ady.
eyes; Marcella. Her conduct is per-
ectly shameful. Haven't you seen how !
oddly she angles for him2' a
Miss Conant had not seen It. In fact,
he thought Marcella seemed rather shy. '
'ut perhaps Miss Jones was right. I'm v
oubtedly something was wrong, and as t
verything had been right before Mar 8
ella came perhaps Miss Jones was justi- v
ed in holding her responsible. At all
vents, Miss Conant decided to speak to I
1arcela.
1t must be known that Will was the o
tar boarder. He had good business |,
nd a bright future, and Miss Conant h
as not going to have his head filed with d
nonsense" fNIt
The landlady was a diplomat. She k
allied Marcella to her room and placed r
er arm gently about the girls waist. v
How old are you, my dear?" asked CT
Hiss Conant. m
Nineteen" said Marcela. IL
you are young and you are very pret- IL
:, my child. You must be careful" cl
Il do not understand" said Marcel]a. lie
Il am going to speak to you as moth m
might speak, my dear. do not &C.
Use you, mind. But must warn you.
lirtations are neither wise nor proper"
Marcella looked at the landlady in won W
n. VI
"This Is not summer hotel" contin-
d Miss Conant. Neither Is It young W
dies seminary. 1t is respectable te
arding house. and the requirements of BIZ
ace and propriety have rendered this pa
lie imperative--no firtations." th
What unusual and outrageous thing pll
We done TINT you should say this to ne
e" she demanded. II will not be trent. br
SO. Tell me what you mean" pa
Your innocence Is very creditable, my Ga
Id" said Miss Conant, "but you must We
We seen that Mr.. Smith Is absurdly at
ntive to YOU"
Il have not encouraged him." And
arcela was cold. Sh
And that Mr.. Craig makes perfect me
al a l..