Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-03-11

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why. / don't believe that he i ]
day over f1fty-6ve.p
Miss Semira's " years numbered
forty-fye. She had expected her meal
er to be a man OF at least sixty-1vs
and possibly seventy years OF age, but
she did not voice her surprise to Mrs.
Sampson. She accepted the situation
in a that manifested her good
sense, and she said to herself:
There's nothing for people to talk
about if he isn't as old as / thought
he a | have lived in this town too
long for any one to gossip about me.
He certainly is a very well-behaved.
gentlemanly person. and there's moth
ing in me giving him his meals that
should set any ones tongue to wag-
ging."
Jared Lyster was a childless widower
who had purchased a small store in the
town. He was a quiet, gentlemanly
man of domestic tastes. who, it must
be confessed, had no intention OF go
ing through life homeless. Like most
men. he had a fondness for good meals
well served and he liked to live in an
atmosphere of cleanliness n order.
He found this atmosphere in Semira
Doane's pretty and we'll kept little
home, and the meals she served were
to his entire satisfaction.
Miss Semira. on the other hand. found
the society of Jared Lyster to be mora
agreeable than she would have dared con-
fess. She would not acknowledge even to
herself how much she valued his presence
when he had been her 'mealer' for three
months. But she found herself studying
his tastes and cooking the dishes she
knew he liked. She found herself also
putting a red ribbep bow in her hair
hearty every day after he had casually
remarked that red was his favorite color
and that he liked to see the little bow
of red in her hair. She found herself
watching for his coming and he did not
know that she often stole behind the lat
tice work of her little porch watching
@AA 49, ~ FtSN1 ~ VIZ stO hb0N NttAh
his thoughts were as he walked away.
He did not know how tumultously her
heart throbbed one evening at the tea
table when he said as he slowly and care
fully folded his napkin back into its orig
inal creases:
well, Miss Semira, I think that I must
tell you that L have decided to make a
change"
'In your business?' she asked with her
eyes fixed on her plate.
well. yes; the change 4 have in mind
will give me a partner in my business.
Blu What l was going to speak to YOU
about was a change in regard to my
meals. 1t isn't altogether convenient
having my room in one place and taking
my meals in another. Moreover. / do not
quite like being a mealer."
'Of course If you wish to make a change
you are at liberty to do so. | could not
promise you any better meals than / have
been giving you even If you stayed with
me-"
Il wouldn't want any better meals any
place.
80 thank you
1.-THE meals are all right. but l never be-
fore was what they call In this town a
'fnealer' and / don't like 1t. I would en-
joy my meals a good deal more 81 they
were served by-well, by my wife. There.
Semira, don't look frightened! 1t Is what
l have been wanting to say for a long
time, almost from the first meal l ate
with youi let me stop being a mealer,
and let me be your husband instead
He had reached across the little table
and taken her by both hands and was
looking into her face with shining eyes.
Her eyes met his In a moment and he
must have seen something of hope and
encouragement for him in them for he
was by her side in a moment with his
arm around her waist and his cheek TO
hers.
The next day Miss Doane received q
call from Mrs. Sampson, who said:
We'll, Smira, it's turned out Just the
way Sampson an me have been sayin'
for two months that it would turn out,
an Tn glad of 1t even IL / nave lost my
roomer Anyhow, you have gained a
mealer for life. L wish you JOY. l really
do
Dangerous Roof or "Top, I'm Coal