The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-05-02
M. Justin
T0iIe0u u's Cecref
BY Matt Grim.

TT WAS in the dining-room of o
boarding house on the upper side of
| Washington square that Judith Daily
first met him. She had moved into the
house that day, and, being early at the
dinner table, eyed each newcomer with
| mixture of curiosity and hope, al.
| ways seeking the ideal friend. No ideal
could be evolved from that common
place multitude, she quickly decided
when the old man entered. He AT.
tracted her attention instantly, for
| snowy hair lay i'm thick waves upon
his head, and pair of fine black eyes
looked out from under heavily marked
white brows. He was slight of figure
and his skin was wrinkled and yellow
as parchment.
He sat down at Judith's left hand.
making fine courteous bow to those
| about the table as he did SO; then he
drew paper from his pocket and be-
| gan reading. 1t was a New Orleans
paper, and Judith felt little thrill of
pleasure. Could he, too. be from Louis
lana? She was tempted to ask him,
| for her two years in New York had not
made her SO much of a cosmopolitan
that she felt Indifferent to even n
chance meeting with some one from
her old home. But she held her peace.
For several days they met at dinner.
and Judith's interest in the silent, lone
| ly old man deepened. There was some
thing pathetic, even appealing, in the
reserve holding him aloof from the
coarser people around him. From the
landlady she learned that he was only
a table boarder.
"Where does he live?" she inquired
"That I don't know" replied the
brisk little woman. 1.-TWO years ago
he came to me and saw that he was
gentleman. I am quick now in rec
| ognizing the lady or gentleman. so
| asked him no questions. He only takes
his dinners here, and he pays his bills
| and makes no complaints; no, never"
OF his occupation or personal history
Judith could find ont nothing. She had
no family ties herself, and reasoned
that her interest in the old man sprang
from sympathy. Then she had known
some Nalleaus once. when child. Il
boy and his mother, who lived in a re-
mote parish. She had played with the
boy during one summer when yellow
fever ragged in New Orleans. and she
had been sent away. Perhaps this old
man might have once known them, too
might, in fact, be relative.
One evening he heard her tell an in
| svsf i, l,,>, h.f 1a f,,
the south. His eyes kindled with in
terest, and slight color tinged his
sallow face.
"The south?" he questioned eagerly,
Ibid ! understand you to say the
| south?"
"Yes. a Louisianian."
''Is it possible? Why--why. that is
my native state"
81 arm from New Orleans
"And so am l." beaming upon her
with a genial glance, his reserve melt
ing like magic. II felt attracted to yoh
from the first, and your voice cha rmed
! me-"
| They talked eagerly, Judith delight
ed that the ice had at last been broken,
The old mans face appeared ami
mated, the glow of his eyes giving y
certain youthful expression to his fea
| lures.
"How long have you been here?" he
inquired. at length.
1.-TWO years."
"And ] have been here for more than
co. He sighed audibly. and for n
moment his face gloomed over. "Yes,"
he repeated, half to himself, more
than 90 years"
Judith listened amazed Twenty
years meant nearly all her life. and
to think he had spent that length OF
time in New York and still remained so
distinctly provincial.
$50 long? You must love New
York;"
"LOve it? Iloathe It'll" he exclaimed.
with sudden. passionate energy. at
is SO big, $50 noisy and dirty. and so
unfriendly."
But fascinating and full of all ac-
tivities, intellectual and otherwise"
"It may be for the young. hut give
me New Orleans. Think of the repose.
it's beauty, it's old houses. it's fine
gardens, with their roses. magnolias
and oleanders. the very air breathing
fragrance and romance"
His eyes kindled again with an
evanescent glow. his voice dropped to
a low, dreamy tone.
"But it is here one finds the market
for romance" Judith argued. practi-
cally.
II found none for mine," he replied,
struggling his shoulders.
The acquaintance between them pro-
gressed rapidly, although for weeks
they met only at the dinner table. He
always went away the moment the
meal was concluded, vanishing mys-
teriously into some realm unknown to
Judith. He lived somewhere down be-
low Washington square, she knew, for
she watched him from her window one
night.
When he discovered that she was
alone in the world he seemed to con-
stitute himself her protector and ad-
wiser.
81 have no family either" he ex-
planned
Then you are not related to the
Valleaus, of Union Parish?"
His fork dropped with clatter;
over his face flashed an indescribable
look.