The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-05-19

at the heads of his listeners. He
merely said a few things well and
left the impression that he could, if
he desired, talk long upon the SUBJ
ject in hand. He kept flowers upon
the table; he subscribed for the mag
azines 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 on Sunday morn
ing and actually got all the Graysons
in the way of doing it. He even
took the church they would attend
for granted, and as his supposition
appeared to be compliment to their
intelligence they did not tell him
they had never been there before he
came.
1t seems" said Marcia, who was
analytic, "as if Mr.. Holinger had
long wanted a family and as if he had
laid out the lines of thought along
which that family was toto cele-
brate-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 in
sinuates that we should. Pa and ma
are his obedient slaves. I never
knew anything SO funny. Pa, who
is bored to death by Stevenson, has
been reading his letters Just because
Mr.. Holinger suggested that he
ought, and ma, who secretly likes
David Harum, has never piped since
she heard Mr.. Holinger give it 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 clock 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 were unprovided
with another escort. He made a
point of seeing that they wore their
rubbers, and on Christmas he made
both Of the young ladies presents OF
their mother. and Ma Grayson ad-
mitted that it was, quite as if the
idea had never occurred to her be-
fore. He told next to nothing about
himself. One would have said, if one
were as astute as Marcia Grayson,
that he preferred the present to the
past. He seemed indeed to be happy,
and he was willing and even eager to
devote himself to others.
"He is one of the finest gentlemen
I ever met" Mrs. Graysou pronounc-
ed after ne had been in the house
three months. "To 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 unu-
sual. He never talked out about his
affairs, as Pa Grayson opined that
frank man should, and above all he
neglected to confde the source from
which his ready money came. It
was hard for pa to overlook thing
like that.
The Graysons got habituated to
him in time. They became accus-
toned to having him drop a ther-
mometer in the bath to see that it
was just right, to having him look
up the weather predictions and ad-
wise as to wraps and to his fine solici-
tude in regard to their intellectual i'm
provement.
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 check by
mail signed LEIGHTON Holinger. "
She ventured to send no receipt.
She liked that way of doing business.
She thought all business ought to be
conducted with equal delicacy.
One day, to the great distress of all
the family, Mr. Holinger fell i'll.
Then in fortnight he passed gently
away, unconscious at the last and
therefore unable to give directions OF
information. The Graysons were
perplexed about their duty. They
knew of no friends or relatives tc
whom he stood possessed. So they
proceeded to make arrangements fol
the funeral, and they published the
fact of his death in all the newspa.
pers.
The latter act brought response
in the way Of an important and short
winded man of imposing presence,
who arrived at the Grayson house il
distinctly lachrymose condition.
"Poor old Holly p he wept wher
he had been shown the body upon hi:
representation that he was friend
81 can't believe he is really gone
Oh, the rascal, to leave me after al
these years / tried to persuade hin
that it was unfair to me-I did no
know how to do without him, yot
know-but he wouldn't listen to rea
son; said he had always wanted to b.
treated like a real gentleman. Wha
could say? The begger had al
ideal. If he wanted to live up to it
l had no right to refuse him, had I? ?"
Excuse me, sir" said Ma Gray
son, ''but it is not quite clear to m
what the relations were between yol
and Mr.. Holinger. :"
"I beg your pardon, madam;
thought you knew. Holly was m.
valet for fourteen years, and he rea
me to sleep every night he staid wit
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