A good many Improper
Characters came around and sized up the Lay-Out and then blew.
It was a sure-enough Boarding-House, such as many of our Best People
know all about even if they won't tell.
The Landlady was doing what she could to discourage the Beef Trust,
but she carried a heavy line of Oatmeal. She had Oatmeal to burn and
sometimes she did it. And she often remarked that Spinach had Iron in
it and was great for the Blood. One of her pet Theories was that Rice
contained more Nutriment than could be found in Spring Chicken, but
the Boarders allowed that she never saw a Spring Chicken.
In the Cast of Characters were many of the Old Favorites. There was
the lippy Boy with the Williams and Walker Shirts, who knew the Names
of all the Ball-Players and could tell when there was a good Variety
Show in Town.
Then there was the other kind, with a straw-colored Mustache and a
prominent Adam's Apple, who was very careful about his Pronunciation.
He belonged to a Social Purity Club that had a Yell. His Idea of a
Hurrah was to get in a Parlor with a few Sisters who were under the
Age Limit and sing the Bass Part of "Pull for the Shore."
[Illustration: _The Lippy Boy._]
Then there was the Old Boarder. He was the Land-Mark. Having lived
in Boarding-Houses and Hotels all his Life, he had developed a Gloom
that surrounded him like a Morning Fog. He had a Way of turning Things
over with his Fork, as if to say, "Well, I don't know about this.
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