The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-24
THE LANDLORDS STORY,
BY WILL S. GIDLEY.

BY WILL S. GIDLEY.
IL mad fairly poured for two days, and I
mad waded through ali the newspapers
ana other eading matter to be had al the
httle Adirondack hotel at which I was
staying.
The landlord, Mr. Carpenter. was a
Jolly old fellow, who was noted for his
sprlshtly stories, and he did his best to
| entertain his guests and keep up their
spirits as they sat on the broad piazza
Oh the hdyslde House and watched the
steady downDour.
l ana not join the group on the veranda.
II there IS anything j particularly dislike
II Is 10 listen to the chatter of a lot OF
people who are trying to delude them
/ selves into the belief that they are en-
/ joylns life when the face of nature is an
kle deep with mud and water. and il &c
still raining as If it never intended 10
stop. So / stuck to my room and bur-
| rowed nay way through books week-Old
| newspapers, patent medicine almanacs-
anything that would help me in a meas
ure to forget the abominable weather.
But on the evening of the second day.
when II grew suddenly colder and a roar
| ing wood flre had been kindled in tbe
| open fireplace in the big sitting-room. I
| was che OF the first to gather around its
/ cheerful blaze
! Now, II ever, was the time for story
| telling, but the landlords repertory seem
ed to be about exhausted
I NO use asking for any more funny
, stortes." he drawled out with depreca-
tory shake Of the head. These two wet
days have pumped me dry, so to sneak. I
can only think Of one more story, but as
there isn't anything comical about that
| enc, L don't suppose you'll care to hear
| it."
Yes, go ahead!' shouted several voices
at once
Give us the story by all means" urged
| one or the ladies. Il can always sleep bet
ter If have a ghost story or some excit-
ing adventure to go to bed on
Well began the landlord, rehec:ively.
l don't think this comes under the head
OF ghost story nor even a story of ad-
venture. I'll have to tell it, and let you
classify 1t for yourselves The climax of
my story came ten years ago when | was
Keeping hotel in my native village,
which will call Eden Center; but the be-
ginning dated back many years before
that, TO the time when the Peeks were the
nabobs OF the place.
Squire Peek, with his wife and only
daughter, lived in big white house on
hill in the outskirts of the village, and
naughty, housekeeping old chap he was
when first knew him. He always seem I'd
10 consider himself and his family a little
above the rest of the folks in Eden Cen
ter, and when Lucinda Peek grew Up,
although she was by long odds the best
looking young lady in the place, and while
hs.K f.ll
her. none of them really had the courage
TO make love TO her for fear of arousiag
the wrath of the stiff-necked old squire.
The first one who tried it was an out
slider, and the ruthless way in which his
aspirations were nipped in the bud by
Lucinda's father held forth very little en-
couragement TO the others. He was a
young college student, named Henry Ran
dell, who had come TO Eden Center to
spend his summer vacation in earning
some needed money. Though dependent
wholly upon his own earnings, he was
bravely working his way through college,
it seems, and he got a job keeping the
books and making up accounts at The vii
lage store daytimes, and at night he gave
lessons On the violin and other musical
instruments. He was first-class singer,
he s;arted a singing school, hiring the
schoolhouse and charging a regular Zee
for the lessons, which he gave every
Thursday evening.
1t was at the singing school that he
made the acquaintance of Lucinda Peek
and il was d clear case of love at first
sight. He was manly young fellow, and
when the rest of the boys saw how mat
ters were shaping there wasn't one of
them but wished him well.
But the course of true love runs IN
commonly rough sometimes, as the poet
tells aboIt, and when young Randen
walked boldly Up 10 the big house on -he
hill with Lucinda one evening and asked
her father for her hand in marriage il
was said that the naughty old squire drove
him from the house with the dires, threats
and curses that one man ever poured upon
the head OF another. IL was thea near The
close OF his vacation. and Rarden was
compelled 10 retIrn 10 his collese without
again seeing Lucinda.
1T was said that letters addressed TO
Lucinda in young Rsndell's handwriting
came after he went away. bur the post
master. who was a friend and sort Of de-
ptnden; % the squire saw 20 it that none
OF them ever reached her. Finally one OF
the letters received after Randell had let
tSe place was returned 10 him, 20 I've
heard with the notation across the .acs
of 1t that the person 10 whom IL was sd-
dressed was dead
1t was cruel and wicked thing 10 do.
buJ such things viii happen when d penni-
less student IA. In love with a naboo's
daughter.
Years passed. Squire Peek finally d.ei.
and then Il was discovered that most o.
his fortune had been wasted in unw!se
specu!ations. The big house on the Iii
was sold ana mother aud ia shter moved
into a small cottage al the other end ~
the village. 4 year later Mrs. Peek died.
OF a broken heart, il was said. and I,u-
cinda vas left alone In the world she
was now thirty years OF age, and thoY-a
there MAS look OF settled sadness on be-
she was stiI the nandSorn 81
woman IA the p.sce, ana II was run. Ire1 !
that she had refused maay tiattering Oltegs /
OF marriage.