Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-04-17
My AristoCratic
Room m ate
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softest musical voice. She selected one
of my prettirst hats, and when it was
set properly on the waves Of her shin
ing chestnut hair the effect was splen-
did.
A month later she came to me again,
but for another purpose. There was a
worried look in her beautiful eyes, and
she kept glancing out of the window
anxiously.
"Where do you liver she asked.
''In room up stairs"
Gallon. 20
"Yes.'
81 have lost a great deal of money.
I want to come and live with you and
learn your business"
l was greatly astonished at such a
request; but, seeing that she was in
earnest, showed her to my room.
LEND me one of your dresses she
said.
I did so, and she put it on.
eff you will come down into the shop
Will liz, Sdlu, LII - " SioNh, VIC VIII
get something to eat, and in the even
ing will give you your first lesson"
''Oh, no! l will stay here till you
return. I couldn't face people in the
shop. l would be sure to meet some of
nv old friends. l will work on the
hats here, but l could not think of ap-
pearing in the shop"
l left her in my room, and in the
evening we made hats together, She
was an apt pupil and got on very fast.
At times it would occur to me that to
take a stranger for q roommate was
injudicious, but knew she was lady,
and before we got into bed she sank on
her knees and said her prayers. From
that moment | ceased to trouble my
self about her. Indeed. my lonely room
seemed to have lost it's loneliness. She
was a great help to me in caring for
the room, in preparing food and in max
ing hats, or, rather, in trimming them,
for the body Of the hats l always pur-
chased. The only thing outside the
room that she appeared to look to with
interest was the daily paper, which as
soon as she came to me, at her request,
I ordered left at our door every morn
ing. She would always take it up
eagerly and scan the headings. 1t was
several days after her coming that /
noticed her cease work to scan and
read an article, holding her breath. AS
soon as could get the paper ran my
eye over the page that had moved her
and saw a brief notice tat the wife
of wealthy man had been specializing
in stocks, had purloined trust funds
from her husband and had disappeared
to avoid arrest, No names were given.
l knew now whom harbored. New
ertheless l pitied her. She was still to
me the lovely lady. l could readily I'M
derstand her sufferings since she had
been with me and wondered how she
could have borne herself SO wen. I
pictured her agonized husband, her
poor children. How could she have
been tempted? I did not tell her that
I knew what had brought her to me.
I treated her even more kindly, consid-
erately, if that were possible, than be-
fore.
She had certainly selected safe hid
ing place. Every day l expected to see
uniformed policeman come into the
shop or hear his tap on my chamber
door, but the days passed into weeks,
and no one came, while every day my
roommate became more dear to me.
had posted several letters for her,
but no answer had ever come. One
day she asked me to post one, and the
next day she waylaid the pOstman in
the hall and received letter in return.
She tore off the envelope eagerly, in
deed so eagerly that it fell to the floor,
and | saw that it had been addressed
to me. AS soon as she had sent the
note she put her arms about me and
burst into tears, which l knew by in
tuition were tears of relief.
"It's all settled" she said.
"What's settled?"
"Our good name is saved. Give me
nv clothes. / will go from here in an
hour, and you must go with me. You
shall live with me, have the care Of
my dear children, be my companion.
You shall enjoy home, comforts, ev-
erything you require"
A few minutes before 10 o'clock
dressed in the costume she had worn
when she came to me, she was in my
shop looking at hats like any other
| customer. At 10 o'clock a carriage
drove up to the door, and after giving
| me her address and making an ap-
| pointment for me to be with her the
| next evening she went out and was
driven away.
| The next evening went to her, and
! she told me her story. Her husband
had been specializing and had lost mon
ey. Having great deal Of property.
he had temporarily used trust funds,
knowing that as soon as he could sell
| his property he could replace the
amount taken. Meanwhile if arrested
| for embezzlement he would lose his
| good name and the affair would be
| much complicated. If he went into
! hiding, he could not attend to his af-
| fairs personally. His wife executed