Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-27
THE OTHER BOY.

Leon thought 1t would be great fun to be
quite master OF the big house while his
father and mother were in California There
| was the tutor, of course, but he was jolly
good fellow just out of college, and he
| never pretended to be the boss of things;
| he was master hand at games and could
| spin most enhancing college yarns: his
| room was full of athletic trophies of which
| he was quite modest and Leon liked him
much. Then there was the housekeeper.
| who had been at the big house since his
| father and mother were married and who
always called the boy Of the house Master
| Leon, and who delighted to prepare for
him with her own hands certain favorite
delicacies. So. take 1t all together, Leon
| was not planning to be unhappy during
| his parents absence. They were to be gone
| only three months and he knew his mother
needed the change
He was quite disguised therefore when
| his fathers second cousin, Melissa. from
MASSACHUSETTS, appeared the very day after
his father and mother had started west.
When she heard that Leon was to be left
alone in the big house she at once wired
the parents that she would go right down
| and take care of the poor. forlorn child"
Cousin Melissa was forty: she had never
| married, and she had lived alone for the
greater part of her life. She was tall and
| prim and she knew absolutely nothing
about boys.
went at once in search Of the poor, for
lorn child" She found him out in the
gymnasium which he and the tutor had
fixed up over the stables. The tutor was
giving Leon boxing lessons, and the two
of them were warm and dusty and coat
less, of course.
Cousin Melissa threw up her hands in
horror. then she recovered herself and.
holding her dress up daintily. she minced
forward to give Leon compassionate
kiss. You poor, lonely child" she said.
How sad you must feel to have your
parents gone on so long and perilous a
journey, and your poor mother SO miser-
able, you must be very brave, my dear
boy. and try to bear up, whatever hap
pens"
Leon. who had been feeling quite happy
in his work and play. felt a sudden lonely
feeling sweep over him. but he threw aside
his glove shook hands with Cousin Me-
LISA and introduced the tutor.
Il think the journey will do mother
heap of good" he said manfully. 1T was
good of you to come down, but really I
am pretty we'll taken care Of as 1t is
Cousin Melissa stared frigidly at the
tutor. "Ah. no doubt you think so, my
poor boy. but what a dreadful place this is!
So untidy! 1t must be unwholesome!
must forbid your coming here any more
Come right into the house, and when you
have made yourself tidy, come down to the
parlor and talk with me. l have so much
to talk over with you we must plan to
take some long walks together. too" and
she smiled in manner that was meant to
be very affectionate.
Leon hated to be called child" and he
hated to give up the boxing lesson, and he
felt he ought to assert himself as head of
the house. but he had always been taught
to be polite to ladies, so he submitted in
silence.
Then followed a period which Leon and
the tutor confidentially called the reign
of terror" Cousin Melissa was terror"