Part 35 (1/2)

Mary was silenced for the time. But a banishment of the subject did not, in any way, lesson the difficulties. Thoughts of these soon again became apparent in words; and the most natural form of these was the sentence--

”I don't know what we _shall_ do!” uttered by the mother in a tone of deep despondency.

”Suppose we take a few boarders?” Mary urged, about three weeks after the conversation just alluded to.

”No, Mary; we would be too much exposed: and then it would come very hard on you, for you know that I cannot stand much fatigue,” Mrs.

Turner replied, slowly and sadly.

”O, as to that,” said Mary, with animation: ”I'll take all the burden off of you.”

”Indeed, child, I cannot think of it,” Mrs. Turner replied, positively; and again the subject was dismissed.

But it was soon again recurred to, and after the suggestion and disapproval of many plans, Mary again said--

”Indeed, mother, I don't see what we will do, unless we take a few boarders.”

”It's the only thing at all respectable, that I can think of,” Mrs.

Turner said despondingly; ”and I'm afraid it's the best we can do.”

”I think we had better try it, mother, don't you?”

”Well, perhaps we had, Mary. There are four rooms that we can spare; and these ought to bring us in something handsome.”

”What ought we to charge?”

”About three dollars and a half for young men, and ten dollars for a man and his wife.”

”If we could get four married couples for the four rooms, that would be forty dollars a week, which would be pretty good,” said Mary, warming at the thought.

”Yes, if we could, Mary, we might manage pretty well. But most married people have children, and they are such an annoyance that I wouldn't have them in the house. We will have to depend mainly on the young men.”

It was, probably, three weeks after this, that an advertis.e.m.e.nt, running thus, appeared in one of the newspapers:

”BOARDING--Five or six genteel young men, or a few gentlemen and their wives, can be accommodated with boarding at No.--Cedar street.

Terms moderate.”

In the course of the following day, a man called and asked the terms for himself and wife.

”Ten dollars,” said Mrs. Turner.

”That's too high--is it not?” remarked the man.

”We cannot take you for less.”

”Have you a pleasant room vacant?”

”You can have your choice of the finest in the house?”

”Can I look at them, madam?”