Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-02

: former plump self There were dark
rings under her soft. brown eyes. and
her thi1ninS cheeks were followed and
wrinkleu. Her customary chccrfulness
had given way 10 wistful. scared
habit of silence. and she seemed anx-
ious to avoid her boarders.
This remarkable ana uncanny change
in Il bright woman who had been as
frank. as busting and MS companions
able as any woman might be dated
from the time when the little land
lady'S mother had come To live in the
back paTlor. Mrs Van Nlissingen. the
milliner. who occupied The third floor
front, had been quite 4 confidante of
Miss EroadhurSt. and it was she who
first circulated the story about old Mrs.
Il. being bit queer" AS Il matter %
fact. the old woman. who had lived in
n sanitarium for nearly six years. was
the victim OF many physical iniirmitics
which preycd upon her mind in such 4
manner as 10 develop Il number OF
wholly reasOnlcss Authorizations.
For instance for I year BEFORE her
she was convinced that the interncs.
nurses and attendants were conspiring
to poison her The terror grew anon
her till even her lucid moments Were
made horrible with hateful suspicious.
Little Miss Brcadhurst was Z good and
loving daughter. but so jealous was
she of the peaceful decorum and ire
II oeh ~,
she hesitatcd for months between her
filial love and her caution. Blu: nj last
her tender heart prevailed and she
brought her mother 10 live in the back
parlor. At first tie hOart.ers. espc-
cially the women. made much of her.
She was comely. mothcrly old person
of much native intelligence and wide
cultivation. and for time Miss Broad
hurst was delighted TO see that tho old
iady's pecrliaritieS were unsupported
by the bcarders.
1t was soon after Christmas that
trouble developed in Il new and unex-
pected manner. First came Miss Van
Vlissingen with an irritating inquiry
about some trinl;ets that had disap-
peared from her room during Ter ab-
sencc. Then DR.. porteus. the most
amiable ard ACCOMPANYING OF men,
quietly reported the less OF Il small case
OF new surgical Instruments that h.
had received IS Il Christmas present
Before February ] nearly every guest
had lost something. Poor Miss Broad
hurst was 1t her wits ends. ard she
cried for hours when she began 10 find
the lost articles tucked away in every
conceivable corner OF her mothers
room. 1t was inexpressibly distressing.
but she saw the necessity of telling
each OF her hoar1ers abnut her moth
er's ecceBtricities. and she did SO. ut
the same time restoring the lost articles
as rapidly as she could find them with
out exciting her mothers suspicious.
She struggled long and hard to he
absolutely tender OF the invaiid's feel
ings. but she knew that the reputation
of her house WAS endangered. II had
borne such m env;abie Eame. Never Il
disagrceable r0omer. rcver hint o.
scandal. never fire nor n robbery.
never death to annoy or prejudice the
hundreds OF guests who lad lived i'll
her model apartments during the ten
years of her Industrious career rs i
landlady. IL her heart she knew that
her only wise course lay IN Kidding her
self once more Of her pco- mother. but
She could not bear the ordeal OF it,
didn't know how 10 approach the hate
dilemma. and. weak with worry.
nporize with the inevitable. Mean
lille she could only bcG her guests 10
ep her secret. p.omisin: item vague
that j. !nat.erS did not mead she
ouid do some hing" Bu; Mrs.
Srcadhurst did net change her iuad
methods. She had The freedom of lie
house during the day. and in spite of
the watchfuiness of her daughter.
would slip away through the rooms
stealing back the very knicknaclis that
were rs promptly restored. Tho board
ers. n good natured company. were pa-
tient enough. though there was great
deal OF whispering among the women
and general avoidance Of the old
w IN. But at last Mrs. Van Nlissin-
gen missed some borrowed samples OF
rare old lace. and though she searched
for week little Miss Broadhurst
couldn't find Them. Then the milliner
flew into rage. limited ut plot he
tween mother and daughter. and finally
went boldly to the mother and demand
ed her lace. threatening the police.
prosecution and Il scandal that spelled
ruin for the demure and almost dis
lracted housewife.
This outbreak threw the old invalid
nto 4 hysteria. She laughed. went and
shrieked by turns. and DR.. Porteus WA.
biiged to quiet Ter with opiateS Miss
,roadhurst. careworn. nervous and
frightened. sat M all night by the bed.
side summoning her courage ana strug-
CLING with her heart for the final ne
cessity of removing her mother from
ne house. She pleaded with Mrs. Van
lissingen TO be patient fitted from
com TO room assuring her guests that
Ter mother would be removed at the
irst opportunity. hoping against hope
no breath Of scandal would pass
doors. When the patient mad r..
cred her ratified faculties Il ncw
Implication arose. She thought that
E. Porteus and Mrs. Van NiiSsingcn
ere in league 10 poison her ana nj
ight Of the physician she screamed
and Tept
On he third night after Ms Broad
luiSts hySterical c0l!anSc. Mrs Van