The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-04


tragedy in Mrs. De Peyster's
voice. What are we going to
do?"
1T seems to me, ma'am," ven
tured Matilda, that a rooming
house or a boarding house would
be cheapest"
"A boarding housed" exclaimed
Mrs. De Peyster. But where?"
Matilda remembered and
reached into her slit pocket.
Yesterday 1 happened to pick
up the card of a boarding house
in the library-I've no idea how
1t came there. | saved ii because
my sister Angelica, who lives in
Syracuse, wrote me to look up a
place where she might stay"
They exanSled the address
upon the card, and twenty min
utes later, now close upon mid
night, Matilda was pressing the
bell of a house on the West Side.
The door opened slightly. A
voice, female, Intercepted Ma
tilda. Then they were admitted
into a small hall. From this hall
a stairway assembled. and from II
was view into a small rear par
lor, where sat a clergyman. The
lady who had admitted them was
the mistress. To her Matilda
made known their desire.
Excuse me, Mr.. Pyecroft,"
she called to the clergyman. 80
you and your friend want board
and ROOM" the landlady repeat
ed in drawing tone. yet study
ing them sharply. When would
you want to come in?"
Now"
Tonight" The penciled eye
brows lifted in surprise. And
your baggage2"
I'VE came to New York with.
out any," Matilda lied desperate
ly. "We're-we're going to buy
some things here"
Naturally, then, you expect to
pay in advance"
"Ah-er-at least a deposit
zone room or two?"
"One." One would come
cheaper.
This way" And she swished
up two flights of stairs and into
a bedroom at the back. where she
turned on the light. "A very
comfortable ROOM" she went on.
Bed and couch; easy chairs
running hot and cold water. And
for II I'm making special sum-
mer rate, with board of only $25
a week for two"
well take it," said Matilda.
Very we'll. Now the deposit
how much can you pay?"
"Ah-er-say fifteen dollars?'
THANK you. Good night" And
with that her large pink-tinted
ladyship made rustling exit.
Mrs. De Peyster sank over
come into a chair, drew up her
veil, and gazed about her.
Matilda" she shiveringly
calculated. 81 didn't know there
was anything like it in the
world"
81 know, ma'am," that it's not
fit for you," grieved Matilda
"But-it's better than nothing
The next morning there was
long discussion as to whether
Mrs. De Peyster should go down
to breakfast or have all her meals
sent up. In the end two consid.
erations decided the matter. In
the first place, meals sent to the
room would undoubtedly be
charged extra. In the second. il
was possible that Mrs. De Pey-
ster's remaining in her room
might rouse suspicion.
The dining room was low CELL
inged and occupied the front
basement and seemed to be ven-
tilated solely through the kitch-
en-. Mrs. De Peyster hazily saw
perhaps a dozen people.
Mrs. Gilbert did not give Mrs
De Peyster a second glance. The
other boarders, after their first
scrutiny, hardly looked at her
again. The effect was as II all
had turned their backs upon her
Then, in q flash, she under
stood. They were snubbing her
as a social inferior!
Mrs. De Peyster was beginning
to flame when the clergyman
they had glimpsed the night be-
fore entered. He seated himself
at a small table just beyond Mrs
De Peyster's and was unfolding
his napkin when his eyes fell
upon Mrs. De Peyster. And then
Mrs. De Peyster saw one of the
oldest changes in the mans face
imaginable. That instant-lone
look made her shiver. What was
in this clergyman's mind?
He was at present without q
charge, as she learned later. II
was understood that he was wait
ing an almost certain call from a
church in Kansas City.
AS Mrs. De Peyster came out
of her room that first Sunday at
supper time, there emerged from
the room in front of hers the
Rev. Mr.. Pyecroft. He held out
his hand, and smiled parochially.
"Ah, Miss Thompson"-that
was the name she had given the
landlady-"since we are neigh
bors we should also be friends. "
Somehow Mrs. De Peyster got
away from him. But thereafter
he spoke to her whenever he