Queed

e: which was not founded as

other day mastered the word, but even that is more than could be said for Mr. Klinker. Major Brooke stood by the Latrobe heater, reading the evening paper under a flaring gas-light. He habitually came down early to get it before anybody else had a chance. By Miss Miller on the sofa sat Mr. Bylash, stroking the glossy moustache which other ladies before her time had admired intensely. Despite her archnes

. Bylash didn't go out to give her the glad h

g that very thing, said rather shortly th

the door?" continued William Klinker, taking no notice

ss Miller applau

thy!" he suddenly yelled out the window-"Smithy! Hey!-Aw, I can beat the face off you!-Awright-eight sharp at the same place.-Go on, you fat Mohawk you!... But say," he resumed to the parlor, "y'know that little woman is a stormy petrel for t

in my affairs," said Mr. Bylash, still r

nker, "so don't get nervous. But say, I got kind of

e other side of them, skipped up the stairs, rapped on her Aunt Jennie's door, and ran breathlessly into the room. Her aunt was sitting by the bureau, reading a novel from the circulating library. Though she had been sitting right here since a

ee! I'm so gla

ssed te

ittle, small, dried young man, with spectacles and a brown derby, and needi

ribed him to the life.

Presently she revived and outlin

d, but it happened to be true in her case. The high-bred regularity of feature still survived, but she had let herself go in latter years, as most women will who have other things than themselves to think about, an

d so Gardiner West walked around with you. I hope, my dear, you asked him in to supper?

. West would have been only too pleased, she said, but she positively w

her aunt's cheeks with her two hands, "has been negligible-I have his

fixing her hair in the back before the long mirror. No matter how well a woman looks to the unt

business. Tell me all abo

em, for I can't be too strict, Sharlee, with all the other boarding-places there are and that room standing empty for two months hand-running, and then for three months before that, before Miss Catlett, I mean. The fact is, that I ought to be over on the Avenue, where I could have only the best people. It woul

gently drawing her back to the muttons,-"we'll make lots mo

ation, which is certainly not what one expects from gentlemen, who get low terms on the silent understanding that they will take themselves out of the house directly after breakfast. Nevertheless-will you believe it?-ten days passed and not a word was said about paym

wasn't

ed if he would let me have a check whenever convenient, as unfortunately I had heavy bills due that must be met. I was very much mortified, Sharlee! As I stood there facing that young man, dunning him like a grocer's clerk, it flashed into my mind to wonder what your great-gr

tion, Sharlee once more wafted the con

far as to tell him thi

he matter; that while out of funds for the moment, doubtless he would

ossom, as we migh

gularly honest face, transparently so,-but he is only somehow queer. He appears an engrossed, absent-mi

ked at her aunt thoughtfully. "Do you gat

ay, seems to be disappearing from the face of the earth. We see occasional survivals of the old order, like Gardiner West or the yo

o the modern standards

t one. No man can be a gentleman who is utterly indiffere

And is that

As I say, this young man spends his entire time in his r

e's penniless,

rted to all intents and purposes into a quiet and comfortable reading-room. Somewhat grumblingly he went down. Fifi was there as usual, doing her algebra by the lamp. The young man took not the smallest notice of her, and presently when she coughed several times-the child's cold happened to be bad that night-he looked up sharply and asked her please to stop. Fifi said that she was afraid she couldn't help it.

said the girl, and beca

ou think I'd bet

hall after supper and tell him that the time

you well be as

it, you are not running an el

t Jennie, who really did not

is establishment is to collect money from the transient and resident public. Now you're not a

u a

esolute and grim. In short, I belong to th

espise you

wearing the moleskin vest to-night, do you know? I was fascinated by it the last time I was

s Queed. Di

Queed? Q

it? There were no su

orrow there will be

or-a hit at his appearance and studious habits,

man, won't you? Say 'This is my niece, Miss Weyland, who looks after my business affairs for me,' or something like t

her reason why, flung aside his newspaper and seized both her hands. Mr. Bylash, in the moleskin waistcoat, sure enough, bowed low and referred to her agreeably as "stranger," nor did he again return to Miss Miller's side on the sofa. That young lady was gay and giggling, but

but the Major talked a great deal, not particularly well. Much the same may be said of Mr. Bylash and Miss Miller. Across the table from Mrs. Brooke stood an empty chair. It belonged to the little Doctor, Mr. Queed. Across the table from Sharlee stood another. This one belonged to the old professor, Nicolovius. When the meal was well along, Nicolovius came in, bowed around the table in his usual formal way, and silently took his place. While Sharlee liked everybody in the boarding-house, includ

it," said Mrs. Paynter sotto v

knock upon Mr. Queed's door. Presently Emma returned with

his book," murmured Sharlee. "I fe

id that he rarely s

nd, gentlemen, I shook my finger in his face and said, 'Sir, I never yet met

ly word he uttered during the meal,-"your remark harro

ng. Everybody thought that the old professor's remark was in bad taste, for it was generally known that Henry G. Surface was one subject that even Miss Weyland's intimate friends never mentioned to

e as he slid to the doors. He hung around in the parlor waiting for her till 8.30, at which time, having neither seen nor heard sign of her, he took Miss Miller out to the moving-picture shows. In the dining-room, when Emma had trayed out the last of the things, t

n," said

, was to be brought into personal contact with Charlotte Lee Weyland, the grim and resolute collector. Various stratage

in that room in a state of dreadful siege. Hunger or thirst will force

ghed and coughed. "He never writes any. And he n

yrup before supper? Well,

doesn't do

, my child, and it's going

ed eyes. However, Mrs. Paynter at onc

way to settle this little difficulty? To wr

m of the matter. You see, we want to find out something about this man, and why he isn't paying, and whether

re you going to

out of hiding to-night, I'll return for him to-morrow. I'll keep on

id Mrs. Paynt

d, and the man himself stood upon th

Paynter? I was closely engaged

" she answered innocently enough. But to herself she