Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-12-02
A OMPANION
BOARDER
Loriglnal.1

I dNe Win us. NOT DoaFdert Some one
who will be member of the family,
play a game of whist with us OCCASION
ally in the evening and make herself
| generally agreeable"
where do you expect to find such
person?" asked Mr. Trotter.
Leave that to me- We women know
women who know other women. I'll
ask my friends to help me-"
Il don't approve OF the plan,p said
| Mr.. Trotter.
| Mrs. Irotter, who was really looking
| to a slight addition to the income in
stead of companionship, would not give
| up her point and her husband at last
| yielded a young woman was found
who wanted a home. and she went to
! live with the Trotters. She filled the
bill completely, being kind hearted.
cheerful. amiable and paid her quota"
as she had the consideration to call Ter
board, regularly.
Il told you So" said Mrs. Trotter to
| her husband. You think you know
more about domestic affairs than l.
| When a man leaves his business for the
| household he usually gets beyond his
depth"
"Since you are satisfied" said the
husband, Il see no occasion to be dis
| satisfied. Miss Smead seems 10 be a
| charming girl"
Months went by-months that bore
proof that Mrs. Trotter was right in
| the matter Of Miss Smead. Several
| disagreeable episodes occurred. but
nothing that could be even remotely
| traced to Miss Smead. One of these
was matter of business. One of Mr..
Trotter's creditors suddenly came down
on him for the amount due him and
when paid confessed that he had heard
that his debtor was in straitened cir
| cumstances.
One morning when the postman de-
livered the mail Miss Smead, who was
| expecting a letter, was watching for
him from the parlor window. Mr..
| Trotter left the house as the Fpostman
| came up the front steps, and Miss
| Smead saw him hand Mr.. Trotter q
| letter. Furthermore. she was near
| enough to see that the address was in
| woman's hand. Mr.. Trotter thrust
the letter in his coat pocket and spoke
sharply to the postman, who evidently
| apologized for something and went on
to the next house. 1t was plain that
| Mr.. Trotter was receiving mail that he
had instructed the postman not to
leave at the house, but Miss Smead
was not the person to make trouble in
a family. and the last thing she would
have thought of was revealing the mat
ter to Mrs. Trotter Besides. Mrs. Trot-
ter had few days before presented
her husband with a daughter, and it
would be cruelty and might be MUIR
der for any one to excite any suspi-
cions at such time.
A few days later Miss Smead, wish
ing to borrow a pattern for baby's
pinning blanket--for in her kindness of
heart she was making clothes for the
announcement across the street to
Mrs. Prior, who lived directly opposite.
to borrow one.
"Since you want the pattern for Mrs.
Trotter." said the lady, you are well
come to it, but that abominable Trot-
ter should not have it on any account"
whats the matter with Mr.. Trot-
teri"
Matter? Matter enough. He's cor
responding with some woman. Didn't
/ see him receive letter from the post
man the other day, thrust it in his
pocket and scold the postman for de-
livering it at the house?'
Miss Smead stood aghast Mrs. Prior.
who had an object in view-to find out
if the missive were really from wo-
man-went on:
"You saw it yourself and We're near
enough to see that the address was IN
a woman's hand"
Miss Smead was tempted to deny the
fact, but hesitated. Hesitating, the Sc
cret was lost. the information gained.
Not long after this Mrs. Trotter re-
ceived an anonymous note in which
the writer said. You ought 70 know
that your husband is corresponding
secretly with Il woman not bis wife.
Then there were tears and crlmina-
| lions in the Trotter family. Mrs. Trot-
ter was still in a condition rendering
such an affair dangerous and her hus-
band found himself on the horns of
dilemma He had been receiving let
tiers concerning his wife's mother who
was dying a lingering death. He must
now show the letters or virtually adj
NIT that the charge was correct. Vie
produced the letters. Mrs. Trotter stood
| the shock fairly well.
| The matter was kept from Miss
| Smead till Mrs. Prior had admitted
| that she was the author of the anony-
nous letter and had gained the infor-
| nation from Miss Smead. The Trot-
| tiers also discovered that when Miss
| Smead had come to live with them
Mrs Prior, seeing that they had taken
boarder," had inferred that they
were in straitened circumstances and
| had so informed the creditor who had
| called for settlement.
The FIRST intiuIation Miss Smead had