Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-03-08

trifie bald, very graceful. His voice
was low and musical and he spoke
with noticeable carefulnesS. His tot
let was irreproachable. He greeted
Ma Grayson with every evidence of
gratitude.
II cannot sufficiently thank you" he
said bowling low over her hand "for
your goodness in extending your hos
pitality to mel"
The quaint thing means to keep the
jest up" Odele said to Marcie. But
later she repented her speech, for the
role which Mr.. Holinger had assumed
did not appear jest, or If 1t was, it
was the most delicate form of comedy,
Every night at dinner time he got into
his dress suit. till Pa Grayson, who
had been in the habit of sitting down
in his office clothes and in more or
less disheveled condition, followed his
example. Moreover, the conversation
at the dinner table assumed a higher
tone. Personalities came to seem a
little out Of place-a trihe iIl-bred. Mr.
Hoinger was fond of talking about
general subjects, and he was possessed
of an astonishing fund Of informa-
ton, which, however he refrained
from hurting at the heads of his
listeners. He merely said few things
we'll and left the impression that he
could, If he desired, talk long upon
the subject in hand. He kept tiowers
upon the table, he subscribed for the
magazines and placed them on the
| library table for the benefit of the
family. He took it for granted that
every one would go to church Sunday
morning, and actually got all the
Graysops in the way of doing it. He
even took the church they would at
tend for granted, and as his SUPPOSE
| tion appeared to be a compliment to
their intelligence they did not tell him
that they had never been before he
came.
1T seems" said Marcia who was
analytic, "as If Mr. Hollnger had long
wanted family, and as if he had laid
out the lines of thought along which
that family was toto celebrate-and
as If he knew just what he wanted
them to do on every given occasion.
Not having family OF his own he
has taken us, and the funny part of it
is that we are doing Just as he insinu-
ates that We should. Pa and Ma are
his obedient slaves. never knew
anything SO funny. Pa, who is bored
TO death by Stevenson, has been read
| ing his letters just because Mr.. Ho-
niger suggested that he ought. and
Ma, who secretly likes David Harum,
has never piped since she heard Mr..
llolinger give il as his opinion that it
was not literature"
He got SO far after a time that he
undertook to see to the winding of the
clocks and the locking of the doors at
night and he was always on hand to
accompany any of the ladies in the
evening If they We're unprovided with
another escort. He made point of
seeing that they wore their rubbers,
and on Christmas he made both of the
young ladies presents of umbrellas.
ut is essential shat they should look
after pheir health" he said to their
mother, and Ma Grayson admitted
that it was quite as if the idea has
never occurred to her before. He told
next to nothing about himself One
would have said If one We're as astute
as Marcie Grayson that he preferred
the present TO the past. He seemed,
indeed to be happy, and he was will
ing and even eager to devote himself
to others.
He is one of the finest gentlemen |
ever met Mrs Grayson pronounced
after he had been in the house three
months. "ro be like that always so
considerate OF others, SO gentle, and so
honorable one must be to the manor
born
Pa Grayson was less sentimental. He
had some lingering distrust of the
paying guest, founded solely upon the
fact that he appeared to be unusual
He never talked out about his affairs,
rs Pa Grayson opned that a frank man
should. and above all he neglected to
cuntide the source from which his
ready money came. 1t was hard for Pa
to overlook thing like that.
The Graysons got habituated to him
having him drop thermometer in the
bath to see that il was Just right, to
having him look up the weather pre-
dictions and advise as To wraps, and
to his fine solicitude in regard to their
intellectual improvement.
He was able to decide the incest
points OF etiquette for them, and they
were not satisfied with their gowns
even till he had pronounced upon
them. The question of money never
arose between them. Once month
Mrs. Grayson received a check by
mail, signed LEIGHTON Holinger." She
yentured to send no receipt She liked
that way of doing business. She
thought all business ought to be con-
Quoted with equal delicacy.
One day, to the great distress OF all
the family, Mr.. Holinger fell i'll. The
malady developed into pneumonia
and in fortnight he passed gently