Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-06-29
MRS. JONES' BOARDERS.
Ey M. A. MAITLAND.

eyes seemed to look into your very
soul. That kind of woman who fire.
quents cheap sales and auction marts,
ever ready to buy up odds and ends
so long as they can be had cheap.
"Three dollars a week is far too much
for boys-they are but boys" she said.
"Why, you can get board at the hotels
in the city for that, with walters and
bell-boys thrown in" and she looked
around, disparagingly, l thought, at
my little dining room with its rag car
pet and plain furniture. The tears
started to my eyes at her words, or
rather at her looks-for l always was
a fool that way; but she didn't see
them, took care of that, for the pie
in the oven was just done, and 1 ex-
cused myself a moment to attend to
it.
"Well, let it be two dollars and half
a week, rs you say, for month at
least, until 1 see how we get on" 1
said; so it was settled at that, and the
upstairs back room was soon occupied
with my first boarders. They were
good lads enough, that is to say, they
had no bad habits beyond eating with
their knives and going to sleep occa-
sionally without undressing, and
think 1 could have broken them of
these faults in time; but bless you, 1
couldn't feed them and save myself! 1t
may be l began wrong with them, that
my table was ''too well appointed" as
Mrs. Wilson said, T,-hen I gave up my
charge at the months end; but that
there was something wrong some
where, was ready to admit.
For three weeks framed placard,
bearing the ominous word, Boarding"
hung forth in my front parlor window
without attracting any notice, and /
began to fear that it would have to be
the grocery. after all, when, strange
enough, had three applicants in one
day.
The first was Becky Raymond, a
teacher in the village school, whose
father had died the week before, and
whose mother was giving up house
keeping and going to live with her
married daughter in Chicago. Becky
was to have the back room to herself
and pay $4 week. This arrangement
was agreeable to both Of us, for we had
been long acquainted, and was glad
to have such an excellent person in the
house with me.
The next was strange lady from
some place l had never heard of be-
fore-a book agent she called herself
but / didn't like her looks bit. How
ever, couldn't afford to be particular;
as she offered to pay her board two
weeks in advance If 1 could let her
have a room to herself. So my two
upstairs rooms were taken at last.
Late at night a gentleman called,
who had been recommended to me by
q - -, naming a prominent resi-
dent. He expected to be in the neigh
borhood for some time, buying up
horses for the army, and would like a
room to himself, if possible.
at never rains but it pours," I said
to Becky, when l went to consult her
about the rooms. Neither of the new
comers would be likely to stay with me
long, so she was quite willing to share
my room for the present, and gave up
the one. sGg wls promised to the
strange gentleman. j ~
The two strangers seemed to get ac-
quainted remarkably soon. Indeed,
one would have thought they had
known each other all their lives, and
in less than a week they drove out
together and took long walks in the
evening. l did not like their goings
ON at all, for they We're not like young
folks that one would make some al
lowance for He was between forty
and fifty, and she, WELL she was the
kind whose age one can never tell, but
no chicken, judging from her ways.
began to think there was something
wrong between them, and would have
given anything to get rid of them after
the first week. / never knew what
they really did as they came and went
at all hours, and sometimes together;
but they paid their bill, and could
make no charge against them for any
thing, except their mysterious connec-
tionS.
One night, after they had been six
weeks with me, l was awakened by a
strange noise, as of something bump
ing and scraping against the outside
of the house; and rs / listened with
beating heart Becky grasped my arm
and said
whats thatw in n frightened voice.
At the same time IIetty sat up in
her crib and began to whimper.
''Hushn' l said. rather sharply, for
l wanted to listen that l might find
out where the noise really came from,
but she wouldn't hush until l took her
in beside me, and then all was quiet
again; but there was no moro sleep for
any of us that night.
In the morning the upstairs boarders
came down to breakfast as usual; she
with her hair frizzled and her face
powdered, and he drawing his goatcc
out TO the incest possible taper between
his long, lean fingers.
We agreed that nothing should be