The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-09-07
A SCRAP OF PAPER
How It Was Rescued From the Dust
Heap and Reunited a
Divided House.


was winding my way up the narrow
stairway to my domain, a FIVE minute
taper in my hand to guide me through
the darkness. stopped suddenly half
way down the corridor. In the dim. flick
ering light Of my taper / saw fastened
to the door OF my landlady's room n
white sheet OF paper. 1t was pinned
above the doorknob and contained a brief
message.
Dear children" 1t read, God bless
your home coming. love you both, dear
daughter and beloved son. / couldn't
wait for you, because / had to go to the
theater. Your MOTHER
"Ah," said to myself, "the young
couple are coming home" As the latch
Of my own door clicked heard two per-
sons come up the stairway.
My mother is not at home," said a
CHEEKY. manly voice, but here is her
greeting, as kind and loving as ever"
l don't know what else the man or the
woman said-sweet love words. no doubt,
sEcn as a young husband and wife are
ant to indulge in on their wedding night
-..rs. Alberta Damman had been my
landlady now for two years. She was
IVluuu NNtlldnf Win u NlNdCiQuS
temperament. which betrayed every min
ute the presence of actor blood In her
veins For many years, she told me,
she had been wardrobe woman in the
only stock company house in the city.
She had saved up little money, which
she loaned at reasonable interest to ac-
tors and actresses in hard luck, and she
was able besides to do a profitable bust
gess in purchasing and selling east off
dresses and stage gowns. The
al tongued wardrobe woman was as
passionately fond of the theater as she
was picturesquely disorderly about the
three rooms which she herself occupied
My own rooms, In happy contrast, were
neatly and simply furnished and always
kept scrupulously clean. The disorder in
hers was appalling and sitting to me-
Furniture from all kinds of periods hob
nobbed with chandeliers and cheval
glasses of long forgotten periods.
Mrs. Damman's son was very different
in character and disposition from his
mother. While she was shrewd and full
of temperament, he was taciturn and
slow of comprehension. Despite his 80
years he was as helpless as a child al
most. In his habits he was absolutely
correct and faithful to his employer, who
had given him the position Of head book
keeper at a moderate salary. His moth
er and he always ate their meals togeth-
er. On Sunday he went to the theater,
and during the week he waited patiently
for the old lady's return from the play
house. that he might partake of supper
with her. Then she would tell him, with
delightful accuracy, all that had happen
ed during the performance, while he lis
a..
almost closed in sleep.
Now this idyllie existence was about to
he interrupted or rather extended. Young
Damman grew courageous one day and
confessed to his mother that he loved a
girl and had promised to marry her.
Mrs. Damman's verbosity would not per.
nit her to conceal this fact from me. AS
she was serving my coffee one morning
she acquainted me with the new state OF
affairs.
DO you know your sons fanceeT l
asked just a little uneasy as to how she
would take this sudden surprise.
No. she had never seen her, but inquiry
among friends had ELECTED the informa-
ton that she came of respectable fam
lily and was n good looking young miss.
IN receive her as my daughter" she
said, land they can both live here. My
sons salary is not large enough to sup
port separate household, and / cannot
give him anything out of my own means,
so they win have to make their home
here. and my daughter-in-law will have
to learn how to please me-"
Now the wedding had been celebrated
and henceforth the young people would
be my neighbors, for their room was
next to mine. If my misgivings had con-
tinued about the new member of the
household, that friendly welcome, pinned
to the door Of my landlady's quarters on
the eve of her arrival, would have dis
PEELED them. In the morning Mrs. Dam
man. as usual, brought my coffee and
rolls.
''They are here she said. with a
broad, motherly smile. didn't you. hear
the noise we made when l came home
last night? My daughter is a perfect
little witch-pretty as a peach too.
know you'll like her"
An hour later I sauntered down the
hall. A voice, fresh as a birds, sang a
gay little ditty.
"The BRIDE" / unused, and presently
she hove in sight, welding broom with
pair of round, dimpled arms barred to
| the shoulders. The moment she saw me
| she blushed and disappeared, dropping
the broom on little heap of dust she
had swept together. On top of the heap,
| staring at me in uncomfortable fashion,
lay a scrap of white paper.
"The welcome" | murmured, stopped
| and lifted the motherly greeting to save
| it from destruction with the rest of the
| debris.
"She can't be very sentimental" was
my silent comment, ''or she would have
treasured these penciled lines all hel
life." Naturally l soon made the &C
quaintance of the youthful bride AM
found her to be all that her mother-in