Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-05-13
"who? Oh. the girl. oh. no, mol"

difficult ways than writing scandals
and society news. / do hard, legiti-
mate work for my daily bread, but
l see l may as well be going on. 1t
can't have quiet place, there is
no uSe-''
Don't you call this room a quiet
one?" asked l.
well, possibly. But that girl in
there's an uncertain quantity. How
long is she going to stay?"
Il don't know said 1.
Doesn't she?'
THAT l can't tell you, and she
must stay her week out; besides,
why should 1 turn her out to please
you?"
She had paid me in advance, but
considered that none of his business.
"Are you sure she's quiet?"
That's just what she asked about
the house. l wouldn't dare take any
one who wasn't equally so. She
came first, you know"
Eyes, know she did," said he, smil-
ing.
Il should-have toto ask some
sort of reference" said /, hesitat-
| ingly. You know / am alone here,
with my invalid aunt. We are far
from the next farms, and / must
know whom 1 take into the house"
why, certainly" said the stranger.
you are perfectly reasonable in
that. I'll tell you what I'll do with
you. 1 won't come to-day, but I'll
come out tomorrow, at about this
hour, and you'll have time to send
the lady away. You cay she has paid
| for week in advance Ct had not
said SOY, "but L really don't see why
that should stand in your way. You
could return it. How much do
you charge her?"
81 don't see that that's any"
''Of my business? Right. So it
isn't! Now I'll tell you what I'll do
with you. I'll go back to town, and
do my night work, and bring a testi-
monial from my employer, the editor
of the paper, and the manager, too,
if you like, and I'll agree to pay $50
a week for the room and board, if
you'll let the young woman co.
l had never let the room for any
thing like that sum. It was a back
room and much smaller than the one
occupied by J. A. D. At once it
seemed to me that l had let her have
hers too cheaply, and 1 sighed, and
decided to raise the price the follow
ing week.
Il couldn't turn her OUT I said.
"She is so tired-almost i'll, 1 think.
l really couldn't"
WELL" said the stranger, perhaps
L had better try it for a week. If
she's noisy, l shall go myself" He
deposited pad and several pencils
on the table and Invested his pocket
of papers, among which were the
morning and evening editions of the
Star Union. He saw me looking at
| the paper and picked it up, holding
1T towards me and pointing with an
inky forefnger to a column on agri-
culture. He ran his finger down the
page to the signature, Henry Nal
lard"
Here" he said with pride in his
tones.
"Where?" said 7.
There, that's me, my nom de
plume. | wrote that" He looked at
the printed name with conceited
air. He ceased the contemplation of
the mystic words suddenly and
turned quickly to me-
This room seems cold" said he.
That's because there's a cellar
underneath it," said I. ''It will soon
warm up with a fire.
"a cellar!" he exclaimed quickly.
'How do you get to t?'
From the lady's room,'' said I.
He laughed. That's capital" he
said.
"Capital?'' said I.
Eyes, capital-that it doesn't open
out of mine. 1 hope she'll see her
company down there. Very WELL
then, off l go. You'll see me back at
this time tomorrow with pile OF
credentials that high" He measur-
ed 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 l came back into
the front hall. the new boarder was
standing in her doorway.
81 heard Voices said she. ''Where
were they?"
TIT must have been in the back
ROOM" said l.
what back room?'