Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-04
A BOARDING.
HOUSE ROMANCE.

We kept boarding house. NIFTY
and L.
To be sure, people said it was a
shame that Mr.. Fontaine's daughters
should stoop so low in life as to deal
out their hospitality for money. But
NIFTY said-and NIFTY has great deal
or common sense-that we must live.
and all the genteel company that came
to visit us wouldn't put so much as a
copper In our pockets toward coal and
taxes. Mrs. Hall, who lived next door
10 us, said she knew we wouldn't
make 1t pay. No one but an expert
enced housekeeper could make il paw.
Mrs. Hall kept a colored man to omen
the door and wait on the table. and
called her fourteen boarders IA few Sc
iect friends" And when NIFTY put up
the little tin sign, Boarding" at the
right OF the door, as you came up the
steps, Mrs. Hall elevated her patrician
nose and muttered something about
low and common" But, as NIFTY said.
what was the use of being above your
business! 1t was a boarding house,
and all the big words in the dictionary
wouldn't make anything else of it.
Mrs. Hall said that 1.-THE Fontaine
girls were very queer" Miss Cynthia
Caldwell thought that it would have
been much nicer and more select to do
me sewing, or get place as gov
erness or something of that sort. which
wouldn't have been quite so public.
Old Squire Fernleaf said his daughters
shouldn't visit boarding house keep
er, and DIR. Millett looked the other
way, when he brought his fashionable
new bride to town and met NIFTY face
to face in the street.
Dear me"' said NIFTY, laughing.
What queer world this is?'
But l was angry enough to cry.
mo matter, NIFTY" said 1, ''we'll
teach them that we can be quite indie
pendent without themr'
Well, as time went on we had sew.
eral boarders. Old Mr.. Petticrew and
his niece Clarissa-the two Mr.. Hen
ieys and the minister's niece, who gave
lessons in wax flowers and water-color
paintings. Our rooms were full. all
except the little one over the wing.
Kate" said NIFTY triumphantly.
we are making money! put eleven
collars III the savings bank, to-day,
over and above all expenses for the
past MONTH"
Il dare say Mrs. Hall saves more
than that" said /.
Il think ve"y likely" said NIFTY.
only, you see, Mrs. Hall does every
thing on a grander scale than we can
pretend to keep up with. We do orr
marketing, wash and iron our own ia
bic linen and sift the ashes, on the sly.
behind the fence, while Miss Henriet
Ia Hall is practicing The Maiden's
Prayer on the piano.
But them" observed /. 1--WE are not
such fine ladies as Mrs. Hall and Miss
Henrietta. We are only two poor little
old maids, who are obliged to earn our
own living"
Kate. you are not an old maid,' in
dignantly cried out NIFTY.
And you are as fresh rs n rosebud
beside Henrietta Hail. said I. pat
ting her cheek. do you know. dear.
l think hard work agrees with both of
us!'
SO things went on, until one summer
evening, we We're sitting out on our
steps, when there was quite n commo-
ton in the Brussels-carpeted hall of
our neighbor, Mrs. Hall.
''Of course he must go" Mrs. Halls
voice shrilly announced. 1T was n
great imposition on me, that he should
ever come here! l supposed he was an
author or lawyer or some such gen
teel occupation, and now, you see. he's
nothing but painter! A common
painter!''
''An artist, ma'Gm," suggested Mr..
Birdsley.
"And where's the difference should
like to know" sputtered Mrs. Hall
Except that one has, at least daily
wages to depend upon, and the other
hasn't. And now here he Is, down with
scarlet fever or smallpox, or some
such hideous ailmcnt, and
only a malignant form of intermit-
tent fever, ma'am," again meekly put
in Mr.. Birdsey.
NO matter what name they call it
by" said the landlady, waxing hotter
and hotter in the ardor of discussion.
Il don't keep hospital here, and IL I
did l wouldn't harbor any such low
trash, SO the sooner he packs Off the
better I shall be pleased"
"But where Is he to goY' asked young
Deidcrman, who was balancing him
self on the balcony rails. cigar in
mouth. He has no friends that any
body knows Of. and
"All the more reason ] should get
Aim or my hands as quickly rs posi-