The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-07
The Pa ying Guest.

! a minimum of help. But still the bills
| crept I'D till the three women came 10
| have a feeling that they were turning
| poor Pa Grayson into 4. dray horse. They
l did not like that idea They wanted Pa
! GFaysen, not for his power Of dragging
/ heavy loads. but because he was their
| own. dear Pa.
| Il don't know enough to teach COM
planned Marcia to her mother. I sup
pose neither you nor Pa would hear 10
me working IN a store And haven't
talent in the world, unless it is for
being amusing-and the only way could
get anything out OF that questionable
/ accomplishment would be to go upon the
stage"
why Marcia" said Mr. Grason, re-
proachfulIy You really must not talk
So recklessly. You almost shock me,
my dear.'
20, III didn't quite do IT. mamma. you
| will forgive me. 1 feel deeply. I must
! express myself with vehemence. You
| say We are two months behind with the
rent."
Ma Grayson nodded dejeetedly.
1T must have taken a great deal Of
sympathy on your part, dear mamma, .
cried Odele, kissing her mother TO take
the sting out of her woros, 70 succeed in
making two girls as utterly useless as
I'VE are
You are far from being useless" re-
turned Ma Grayson with dignity. You
are simply not commercial Your father
| and I are deeply PANIED that you have
to be made acquainted at all with our
embarrassing condition"
The girls laughed at Mas dignity. They
told her she was a dear old goose, and
they rumpled her hair up and pulled her
tie around under her ear, and teased her
till she begged for mercy.
1t was the evening of the day Of which
this conversation occurred that Odele
came running down to the dinner table
with the paper in her hand.
Listen to this she cried. Wanted
A refined and cultured home where a
gentleman can live as a paying guest,
and where no boarders are taken -
Well" asked Pa Grayson, rather cold
". He was altogether too proud for
man with a non-elastic salary.
well, dear dad, that is for US. The
paying guest was designated for our
needs OF course, you and ma would
never take boarders. Net on any ac-
count. But paying guest'-why, it
would actually be distinction. He can
have the big front room with the alcove
off Marcia and 1 will be just as COM
Portable in the back roorn-and, anyway,
I'VE like 70 get the southern outlook.
this advertisement"
But he might not like US, Odele, and
then, think how mortified we would be'
objected Ma Grayson, who, 1t is unneces-
sary to explain, was accustomed to meet
only with the polite phases of life. Odele
threw back her big blonde head and
laughed.
II shall answer the advertisement at
once she announced
Ten days later the paying guest" moved
into the Grayson second front-with al
cove. The moving was a serious under
taking, for he was possessed Of a great
deal Of impedimenta, including large,
germ-destroying water filter. His name
was Lghton Holinger. He was 60, per-
haps, an inch over six feet in height.
very thin, trife bald, very graceful
His voice was low and musical and he
spoke with noticeable carefulness. His
toilet was irreproachable. He greeted Ma
Grayson with every evidence of graft
tlde
'I cannot sufficiently thank YOU" he
said bowling low over her hand, 'ifor your
goodness in extending your hospitality TO
met"
ut seems" said Marcia, who was ana
Iytic, "as if Mr.. Hoiinger had long wanted
a family, and as if he had laid out the
was TOTO celebrate-and as If he knew
Just what he wanted them to do on every
given occasion.
mot having a family of his own ne
has taken US, and the funny part Of it
is that we are doing just as he insinuates
that we should. Pa and Ma are his ODE
dent slaves. I never knew anything so
funny. Pa, VINO is bored to death by
Stevenson, has been reading his letters
just because Mr.. HoHnser suggested
that he ought, and Ma who secretly likes
David 4Tarum4' has never piped since
she heard Mr.. Holinger give it as his
opinion that 1t was not literature
He got 50 far after a time that he I'M
dertook 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 even
ing If they were unprovided with another
escort. He made a point Of seeing that
they wore their ruboers, and on Christ
mas he made both OF the young ladies
presents Of umbrellas.
1T 10 essential that they should look
after their health" he said to their moth
er, 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 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 de-
vote himself others.
He Is one Of the finest gentlemen I
ever met" Mrs. Grayson pronounced af-
ter he had been in the house three
months. ITO be like that-always $50
considerate of others. so gentle. and 50
fhonorable-one must be 20 the manor
BERN
One day, to the great distress % all the
family. Mr. Roliinxer fell ILL., The NAL
sdy developed into pneumonia, and in a
fortnight he passed gently away, uncon-
scious at the last, and therefore Unable
TO give directions or information. The
Graysons we're perplexed about their duty.
They knew of no friends or relatives Of
whom ne stood possesssd. So they pro
coeded TO make arrangements for the fl-
neral, and they published the fact OF his
death in all the newspapers. II
This latter get brought = response in
the way Of an important and short-Winded
man Of imposing presence, who arrived al
the Grayson house IN = distinctly lachry-
nose condition.
Poor ola Holly he wept when ne had /
been shown the body upon his renreser-
tation that he was 4 friend. ~ cant
believe he is really gonei o, the rascal.
to leave me- sster all those years, I tried
TO persuade him that it was unfair 70
mel didn't know how 10 do without
MIN, you know-but ne wouldn't ustea 70 /
reason. said he had always wanted 70
be treated ike 4 real gentleman. What /
could I say? TIE begEar had an IDEAL.
II ne wanted 20 1--we MP % It ! asd no
right 70 refuse him, had ="
Excuse ne. sir" said Ma Gra-son. (
but IL is NOT quite clear 70 me what the I
rela tons we're between you ard kr. He 1
niger.
7 beg your pardon, n1sdsT- I thought f
vou knew. Holly was ny valet fer four +
teen years ard be read ne . slsep evsrr