The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-12-23
r III E M o X GA e f
By Joseph Speke
By Joseph Speke


which, being clear would easily bear u
little incumbrance for a few months or a
year at the most, that gentle little wo-
man, his wife, took alarm.
AT the earliest opportunity she hur-
ried down the street to unbOsom herself
t oher friend, Mrs. Horrorstruck, Il large
raw-boned widow, who welded her baton
of authority over mechanics boarding
house within stones throw of her own
dwelling.
"A mortgage! Exclaimed Mrs. Horror
struck, staring in blank amazement at
her visitor, as she held up the crumb
brush with one hand and the dust pan
with the other, and then, without an
other word, fell again to her work with
rcdoubled fury, for dinner was just over
and the boarders had all gone back to
their several avocations. When the
table was cleared off to her satisfaction
she faced about once more to the little
brunette leaning against the cheifonier,
and fixing glare of spcechlcss, sympa-
thetic agony upon her which fairly
quailed the timid spirit of Mrs.
Smudgc, blurted out once more, "a
mortgage You don't mean to tell me
he wants to put mortgage on your
homestead which your first husband left
you to supply him with money to throw
away on politicsY"
"Just what he does" quietly affirmed
Mrs. Smudgc, the tears yelling up into
her dark, soft eyes.
"Sakes alive, woman you're surely not
going to monkey with a mortgage" al-
most shrieked the boarding mistress, as
she began again to refiX the plates,
knives, forks and tumblers in readiness
for her hungry crowd at the next meal.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear do sit down and
take off your hat, do! And III have
Cleopatra make US cup of ten. There's
nothing like cup of tea when YOU'RE
worried in your mind. There, now, you
look comfortable. I'll be back in min
ute"
When the good housekeeper rcentercd
the dining room, having deposited the
dust pan and taken off her apron, she
was preceded by Cleopatra, pudgy,
bare-legged negress, slowly bearing a
tray in great trepidation of possible
catastrophe, containing the beverage so
cheering in feminine anxieties, which she
set upon the table, and staring at the
visitor with her large yellow eyes rolling
in seas of foam, beat hasty retreat back
to her domicile, the Kitchen.
"A mortgage" resumed the voluble
landlady, as she handed her guest u cup
of hot tea with an invitation to sugar
and cream to her own taste. "A mort
gage! Oh, my! Mrs Smudge;" and
Mrs. Horrorstruck sighed heavily.
IF you want to set my teeth on edge.
my nerves to twitching and jumping like
II chicken with wrung neck, just men
tion MORTGAGE"
81 am very sorry, Mrs. lorrorstruck,
If | have upset YOU" meckly interrupted
Mrs. Smudge. 81 presume | ought to
keep my troubles to myself but you
know 1t is 80 nice to have friend you
can speak to when your heart is almost
bursting with grief
ut is SO, but mind you, I'm not upset
about myself, Mrs. Smudge," explained
the big-hearted boarding house mistress,
in u more conciliating tone. "You and
your old mother am troubled about, for
mortgage your little home and | know
what will happen, sure rs blacks
black"
This latter assertion the good lady EN-.
phasized by several resolute thumps upon
the table with her strong, bony hand,
"But come, now, cheer up and drink
your tea while it's hot. Ntohing tones
you up when you're low-spirited like a
cup of good strong tea. ! could give up
everything in this wide world but my
tea. must have my cup of steaming
hot tea, with plenty of sugar and rich
cream. DO you notice the fine aroma in
this teaY"
Mrs. Smudge: 81 was just going to
remark what excellent tea it is, what
flavor. Where do you buy it, Mrs. Hor-
torat runk Y"