Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-09-05
warm up with q rs:

from tnc lady'S ROOM, said l.
He laughed. That's capital" he
said.
"Capital?" said 1.
Yes. capital-that it doesn't open
out OF mine. hopo she'll see her
company down there. Very we'll,
then, Off l go. You'll see me back at
| this time tomorrow with pile of
credentials that high" He measur-
ed a foot of space between his hands.
walked quietly along the mating
covered hall. went out of the door
and down the steps, retraced his way
over the grass, mounted his wheel
and was gone. AS came back into
the front hall. the new boarder was
standing in her doorway.
II heard Voices" said she. "Wherc
were they?"
"It-it must have been in the back
room," said I.
what back room?"
1.-THE room back of this"
"1s that where that door leads TOP"
YES" said l shamcfacedly.
You never told me there was a
room back of this. Have you any
other boarders? l thought that |
was the only one"
Really" said 1 falterngly, 81 do
not think that you should expect me
not to let my rooms when / can.
They have stood unoccupied so long,
[ must let them when possible-''
"Oh. have you only just let it?
Was it when was asleep?
yes" said I. "The stranger came
just after you lay down. He likes
likes the room and / shall have to
let him have it. He will pay me
we'll; he pays more than you do, and
1 cannot afford to lose him"
"What does he look lil1e?"
ooh, he's pleasant faced"
"Clean shaven?"
no" said +. HE has whiskers and
a mustachc."
81 hate man with whiskers," she
exclaimed. what is his name?"
The same question he had asked
about her.
II really don't know" said 1. ''He
is coming back with his credentials
Tomorrow
"And you take boarder, an utter
stranger into your house without
even asking his name. He might
murder me all alone down here"
81 forgot" said I; but you forget
that L do not know yours
The girls face flushed.
"No,' she said, you do not. Well
then, Jo-,Iosephine Dacres. 1 ought
to have told you before. But I'm
woman. This is man-among lone
women-in the room next to this
Hes harmless newspaper man."
said I.
"And I'm helpless woman"
l glanced at the dressing case. 81
A. D." said I. What does the "A
stand for?"
81 can't see that that makes any
difference"
mo, it makes no difference at all,
only can't see why
why | shouldn't tell you my whole
name? Well, l don't suppose there
is any reason exactly. It's Amaran-
the"
"Amaranthe?" l cxclaimed,-sAm-
aranthe?"
"Ycs, why note"
Nothing" said 1. Eve heard the
name before, that's ALL It's sin
gular name, one you do not often
hear"
''Yes," said she, San odd name. |
don't think that | ever knew another
person who was named '.imaranthe.'
She put her hand to her head with
weary gesture. Il declare l get so
tired sometimes that | almost forget
who am. Yes, I am Josephine
Amaranthe Dacres. l ought to have
told you when l first came, l sup
pose. Well, good-by, am going"
She picked up the dress-suit case
from the floor.
Going! Going where?" said I,
aghast, partly because l hated to
lose my boarder, and partly because
the money paid in advance had part
of it been sent to Tom, and part of
it by our old factotum, Badly Tow
ner to the store for flour, potatoes.
sugar and butter, coffee, tea and such
like necessities. Our credit was not
particularly good in those days.
Don't CO." said. "Don't, don't!
don't believe he'll bother you at
all. 1t is likely that you will never
see him. He hated the idea of your
being here as much as you hate the
idea of his being here. He wants
quiet too
Its an awfully comfortable bed"
said the girl, with succession of
yawns. well, if you promise me
he won't have men in there, drink
ing and carousing, I'll stay my week
out anyway. l wish l had some slip
pers. l must send for my-no, l
won't; l won't send for anything I'M
til I've seen that man and found out
how he's going to behave. When can
see him without his seeing me?"
He said he'd come out tomorrow
morning." said 1. Hes very inoffen-
sive, I'm certain. All he wants is
peace and quiet, and I'm sure if you
both want it, you're sure to get it,"
Just here there was Il humping on
the floor overhead from Aunt Jane
Mary's cane. My boardcr jumped
and looked over her shoulder.
What is that?" she gasped,
Only my invalid aunt. She thumps