Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-04-09
The SUMMER BoARDER
BY JUNE cAHAN.


II do think you might have told me
before l started for home" said Es-
tania In q tone of much suppressed
disapprova- Il might have gone up to
Uncle Walts. or stayed with Connie.
She asked me to, and / was foolish
enough to long for homa. II you'd only
mentioned 1t some way IN your letters,
I'd have understood, and you could
have rented my room, too, II you liked,
to summer boarders-
-Oh, Tan, you always do roll q
SNOWFALL up until It chases you down
hill. Summer boarders! Anybody'd
think that we'd started right in bust
9 just because we happen to have
rented out one bedroom and study"
Estania looked ovsr at her sister re-
proachfully.
-Chester's own bedroom and study"
Tan. don't you dare worry mother
about this, now It was my doings.
You're all out Of touch with the way
things go here at home, and you don't
understand how every last dollar
counts. You trot Oh to town when you
feel like It, and paint In a studio all
winter. and give lessons, and go to the
opera. and haven't q thing to do but
keep Tan shapin In q good humor.
And ChesteFs just like you
You might leave poor old Ches out
Of It." interposed Estsnia, Instantly.
He's right in it. Vic laughed eff
he had come home this summer and
helped % he should have done. we
would not have had to insult the fam
uy s~elf-respect by taking In ten dol
kArs q week regularly"
where's motherf'
Gone boating with Mr.. Pomeroy,"
vsry demurely. He has been just
dear. Tan, with mother. He's got a
motor boat, q perfectly ~water-tight,
tame one that he keeps down at the
club dock. and he takes her out every
day for a trip down the bay.
-Motherr" with raised eyebrow
Dear, no-the boat; but mother
does 20 often and DO do L He's Q
friend of the Barclays and wanted to
be near them for the summer. We
think it's Margaret 30 far
Estania turned with her travelling
cloak and suitcase, almost colliding al
the bend Of the staircase with q young
man who was hurryfng down three
steps at a time. He was tall and dark
thoroughly shabby:
Pardon me. Awfully clumsy and
unlucky l am, anyway. Say, Vic. your
mother wants her gray veil to tie
around her hair@and her coat He
stood out on the broad veranda wait
ing while Vic hunted for the things.
Estania could not explain her feel
ings- Somehow the summer boardel
grew to represent to her all the faller
fortunes Of the little home, and she re
sented his very existence. II Chester
had been there, It could never have
happened. But Chester was n of tht
smooth-faced lieutenants facing hi
first battle smoke on one of the biz
gray ships in the gulf.
Then came a fateful day. Mr.. Pome
roy had gone for q shore tramp will
Vic. Mrs. Chaplin was taking q nap
It was q golden day out Of doors. ant
Tan had decided to paint a water colo
of the garden. She wanted a certain
camp stool that Vic had handed owe
with anything else he wanted, to tn,
summer boarder. Estania venture,
into his room to recover her property
Inside the door she stopped. FacinI
her on the bureau was a very goo
photograph of herself. one that sh
had sent to Chester Just before his sal
ing south Yet 1t confronted her now
and II was enshrined ON Bruce Pome
roy's dresser.
She went down quietly without tn
camp stool, and waited determined
for the return OF Mr.. Pomeroy. H
came with Vic along the beach
strolling leisurely. Vic ran into tn
house to help with dinner, and Bruc
threw himself down on the grass /
front Of the angry goddess.
He heard her In silence, merely moo
ding assent to every accusation sh
made. Yes, he had known Cheste
very well indeed; chums at Annapolis
He himself had given up the nav
when his father had died, and now sui
sisted most comfortably on an incom
derived from shoe manufacture.
lawfully unpoetic, Isn't TT" b
smiled at this confession
And you gained possession Of m
picture from Chest"
Il did," he acquiesced cordially.
saw 1t when he was packing. and 1t Il
~terested me. Then I knew Peggie Ba
clay and she coaxed your blesse
mother into taking pity on q lone bacI
elor, and letting me stay here for ii
summer. l had an idea at that tim
you know, that you'd come home. an
I'd see you
Slowly Estania's dignity began
ebb away. She stared out at a vagral
Q gull that swept in narrowing ci
cles yer the little boat dock belo
them.
I'm afraid I've been q perfect cat
she said slowly. 81 had no idea tn
I. you were a chum Of Chester's."
Tn going to be more than that
: Bruce answered. rather soberly. "T'
going TO be his brother-in-law. Vic IA
promised me that Joy"
fCor--wA% rorx 49, 49, &~rNr~- 0~r-z