Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-02-22
DrusiIIa's Summer Boarders

the cemetery alone. The little cottage
was still. She tried to realize what had
! happened; but as yet her fathers sickness,
the death, the funeral, the well-meant
condolences Of friends-all seemed like
a bad dream.
In her dazed sorrow, however, she was
conscious Of one fact that looked big and
threatening; there was absolutely no
ready money. She had the home place
dear, neat, beautiful, little place-and
just seven dollars in cash Drusila sat
thinking far into the night The old fash
! toned kitchen clock broke the stiffness
with two harsh strokes, before she
! thought of eating or sleeping.
I'm TOO old to learn anything new"
| she whispered--'I shall be 80 next time
/ / dom see what ! can do except coOk--and
they say l can do that I shan't like to
see a crowd around, cluttering up every
| thing but l guess it's the only way"
| A few days later an advertisement for
summer boarders appeared i'm the city
/ papers; and the village had something
1 new to talk about.
/ Drusillas father always had the name
/ Of being Saver" and the majority fin
! ally decided that he must have had plenty
| laid by therefore Drusla simply must be
Ambitious" They did not know about
/ the seven dollars Neither did they know
/ that she was starving-had been starving
/ all her lonesome life-for love and sym
pathy. and all good things nor that II
/ wrenched her heart to see schoolmates
| and friends happily married with little
/ toddlers at their knees They did not
know how many chances" she had had
| nor how many times she had wondered
why with so much love in her heart, she
/ had never been able to say yes; but
/ they all knew that she could cook. and
! gave her good wishes, although there
| was little doubt about women getting
/ money making notions into their heads.
! The letters which came I'm reply to the
ri tfar oil AWass
said, in part: Il am a maiden lady Of 40
/ summers. Men annoy me exceedingly l
would come only on condition that there
were to be no men boarders' BY the
/ same mail came another probably from
, a gushing young girl. hoping that there
were plenty Of nice young men around.
! A match making mamma wrote: Please
| send names age, social standing and es
| timated wealth Of all eligible men in the
| neighborhood." Miss Venus Nightingale
wished to pay her board in massage
! treatment instead Of cash. Drusilla be-
lieved in character in handwriting, and
after spending some time and thought
| over the subject she made her few
| lections accordingly.
The first boarder to arrive was a Mr..
Morton from New York. He had a mid
| dle-aged, pleasant face that Drusilla
liked imediately Her cheeks were
| slightly flushed from nervousness when
she met him at the door II she could
have known his thoughts. she would have
been pinker still.
"A dear little house and a dear little
woman" he was saying to himself.
After the first dinner he informed
/ Drusla that II was the best he had ever
eaten. Il wish We had such cooks in the
city" he said but we haven't"
Drusilla flushed with surprise and
delight. surely those French cooks that
get such high salaries must know"
They don't: they don't" interrupted
Mr.. Morton. Their fancy mixtures are
not to be compared with your plain. deli
cious dishes"
In short time Melvin cottage was
nearly ful-so full that Drusilla was
obliged to hire n neighbours girl TO help
her. Money accumulated slowly but
surely. She liked the boarders. and they
liked her. In spite OF all her hard WORK
she seemed to actually grow younger, and
was light hearted and happy. Then Mrs.
Sands and her three children came.
Tho woman herself had pale hair and
a nose that turned toward the sky in
tcrvas. The children took after their
mother From the first they found fault
with everything except Mr. Morton. Mrs.
Sands informed Drusilla that no was
the" Mr.. Morton Of New York. a widow
er with no children fine establishment.
and more money than he knew what to do
/ with.
II can't understand why he chooses
to stay in such a stuffv little place as
-er--this," she exclaimed Il shall send
for my sister to come down. She would
make him an ideal wlfe-so accomplish
ed and remarkably handsome! She looks
like me. Oh by the way. Miss Quimby.
| ! am afraid the children are not getting
enough to eat. The poor little things
say they are hungry all the time. Har-
old. In particular. seems actually
starved"
Harold was six years old At supper
the evening before he had eaten heartily
Of cold meat. salad hot biscuits, and so
forth and finished with three saucers
heaped with wild stra wberries covered
with cream, and five slices of cake Re
membering this. Drusilla felt stunned.
AT home" went on Mrs. Sands, "of
course our living is OF the best, and we
have plenty of IL. too. l presume we shall
get used to plain food and-er-your cook
ing after awhile. so that we can eat II.
Perhaps you had better give the children
a lunch whenever they want il. Let me
see-Katherine likes macaroons, eclairs,
lady fingers, or anything in that line
that you know; Gladys wants cake-fancy
cake with thick frosting-and whipped
cream pie or cream cake; and Harold
likes meat and fancy puddings, or almost
, anything, II he can only get enough of it,
They all like frozen pudding or ices OF
any kind. II YOU will keep these things
on hand constantly Miss Quimby we
shall try to get along" And the woman
with the pale hair picked up her numer-
Gus skirts and left Miss Drusilla speech
less! Before she knew whether to laugh
! or cry, Mr., Morton stepped out OF his
room.
MY window was open and could not
help hearing. Miss Quimby. Amusing, is
it not?" he asked. glancng keenly at the
face before him, which was not smiling
1 Don't worry about those little pigs. You
. know they get much more than they
( should every day-and such a mixture
I People like these are not worth worrying
about, Miss Quimby. You see I am moi
worrying, even though have discovered
a dreadful plot against myself" and his
eyes twinkled so that Drusilla could moi
help smiling.
e Mrs. Sands telegraphed for her sis
' ter, Miss Hathaway, and she came
| promptly After that Mr.. Morton had nj
[ peace. They planned and plotted and
. haunted his footsteps from morning til
/ night. Sometimes he fed to the kitchen
\ where he watched Drusillas work will
/ approval. Miss Hathaway followed hin
in one day, and looked on with inquis
' tive eyes.
I 1T must be horried to be buried in tn,