Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-05-13
A Boarding House
Romance
By FRANCES MAY

and boiled nSn dSSalleu
Deans nostrils as she stepped into
the narrow hallway of the boarding
house. She knew by the distant sound
Of chairs grating upon the thinly-car-
peted floor Of the basement dining
room that the boarders were already
assembling about the long table TO
begin that solemn and most important
meal of the day-dinner.
Fastening upstairs to her little
f%ourth-story ROOM, the girl hurriedly
rearranged her thick, dark hair and
slipped into a cool lawn dress, ap-
pearing in the dining room just as the
last soup plate was being removed.
With one exception, everybody was
b~reathlessly watching Mrs. Frazer,
the landlady, serve the fish, and lit
tie heed was paid to the girls en-
trance beyond a perfunctory GOOD
evening"" The exception, a hand
some young Frenchman, who sat In
the relative position on Mrs. Frasers
right that Eleanor occupied on her
left, looked up smilingly and said
"Good evening"" cordially and with a
decided accent.
1T is warm" suggested the young
man.
Every warm" assented Eleanor.
mo warmer than it was at this
time last year." asserted a large,
ford gentleman aggressively.
''That don't make it cool now,
Franklin" snapped his wife. 81 won
der whether you will find it cool in
France when you go back, Mr.. LIE Wis
conte?" she questioned, turning to the
Frenchman.
Eleanor raised her eyes quickly and
glanced across at her vis-a-vis.
Are you going to France, Mr.. LIE
Visconte?' she asked.
"Why, hasn't he told you?" ex-
claimed Mrs. Franklin, significantly.
81 should think he would have told
you at oncel We were all talking
about it just before you came down.
stairs. 1t seems odd that you haven't
heard!"
Miss Deans great, dark eyes opened
very wide for an instant and stared
coldly into Mrs. Franklin's little blue
ones. Then she turned away and re-
sumed her dinner and the Frenchman
said suavely:
'Why, what need had / to inform
Miss Dean when Mrs. Franklin is here
to speak for me? I go, Miss Dean, to
France, yes; but today only 1 know
it; l have told Mrs. Frazer this after
noon and she has told all zese good
people this evening. 1t is quick, is
it not?"
every quick" responded the girl,
"and very unexpected, isn't III?
"Most on-expectedI"
Mrs. Franklin's tiny yes searched
the girls face %curiously.
81 should think you would miss
Mr.. LIE V~isconte," she said.
81 shall, indeed"
1.-THE young man glanced gratefully
at her. you are the only one who
has so expressed herself" said he,
smiling.
"And you will miss him all the
more because he's going for good"
continued the lady, with emphasis.
For goodW exclaimed Eleanor.
"Ah-yes-well, perhaps he will come
back and visit America some day."
81 will surely come" said LIE Wis
conte. Then there was a silence and
the girl felt herself the object of CO.
vert scrutiny.
"WiIl you go for q walk with MI
Franklin and me, Miss Dean?" asked
Mrs. Franklin, as the dreary meal
terminated.
'Thank you, 1 have had a hard
day at the Office and am too tired"
was the response. Goodnight"
and Eleanor went upstairs to her
room, and sat down at the window
that looked out upon the backs of a
row of tenement houses, resting her
cheek YEARLY upon her hand.
"What a dreary place this city Is
for a woman to come to alone!" she
said half aloud. ut will be worse by
and by" and then with an attempted
laugh, what a goose I am. I'll get
out of this stuffy room into the air."
Putting on her hat, she slipped
downstairs and out of the house. The
air was sultry and oppressive and the
pavement seemed TO radiate heat.
Swarms Of insects f1uttered about the
electric lights. Everywhere rose the
~incessant hum of voices and the rat
tie of wheels and cfang of trolley
bells; and over all hung a cloudless
sky, with a half of a silver moon in
its midst.
Eleanor had turned into a quieter
street where she could walk more
comfortably, when a quick footstep
sounded behind her and a voice at
her elbow said:
Miss Dean-pardon !" and turning
her head, she saw Le V~isconte. MAY
l walk with your" he asked.
She did not reply at once; he had
startled her and the beating of her
hoor+ eaopod m ahoGa hor CO tbo1