Queed | Page 8

been
recommended to my house, but would not say by whom, nor could he
give references. I did not insist on them, 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 would be
infinitely more lucrative--why, my dear, you should hear Amy Marsden
talk of her enormous profits! And Amy, while a dear, sweet little
woman, is not clever! I remember as girls--but to go back even of that
to the very heart of the matter, who ever heard of a clever Wilkerson?
For she, you know, was born ..."
"Never you mind Mrs. Marsden, Aunt Jennie," said the girl, gently
drawing her back to the muttons,--"we'll make lots more money than
she some day. So you gave him the room, then?"
"Yes, the room known as the third hall back. A small, neat, economical
room, entirely suitable for a single gentleman. I gave him my lowest
price, though I must say I did not dream then that he would spend all
his time in his room, apparently having no downtown occupation,
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 payment. So one
morning I stopped him in the hall, as though for a pleasant talk.
However, I was careful to introduce the point, by means of an anecdote
I told him, that guests here were expected to pay by the week. Of
course I supposed that the hint would be sufficient."
"But it wasn't, alas?"
"On the contrary, ten days again passed, and you might suppose there

was no such thing as money in all this world. Then I resolved to
approach him directly. I knocked on his door, and when he opened it, I
told him plainly and in so many words that I would be very much
gratified 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-grandfather, the Governor, would think if he could have looked
down and seen me. For as you know, my dear, though I doubt if you
altogether realize it at all times, since our young people of to-day, I
regret to have to say it--though of course I do except you from this
criticism--"
By gentle interruption and deft transition, Sharlee once more wafted the
conversation back to the subject in hand.
"And when you went so far as to tell him this, how did he take it?"
"He took it admirably. He told me that I need feel no concern about the
matter; that while out of funds for the moment, doubtless he would be
in funds again shortly. His manner was dignified, calm, unabashed--"
"But it didn't blossom, as we might say, in money?"
"As to that--no. What are you to do, Sharlee? I feel sure the man is not
dishonest,--in fact he has a singularly honest face, transparently so,--but
he is only somehow queer. He appears an engrossed, absent-minded
young man--what is the word I want?--an eccentric. That is what he is,
an engrossed young eccentric."
Sharlee leaned against the bureau and looked at her aunt thoughtfully.
"Do you gather, Aunt Jennie, that he's a gentleman?"
Mrs. Paynter threw out her hands helplessly. "What does the term mean
nowadays? The race of gentlemen, as the class existed in my day,
seems to be disappearing from the face of the earth. We see occasional
survivals of the old order, like Gardiner West or the young Byrd men,
but as a whole--well, my dear, I will only say that the modern standards

would have excited horror fifty years ago and--"
"Well, but according to the modern standards, do you think he is?"
"I don't know. He is and he isn't. But no--no--no! He is not one. No
man can be a gentleman who is utterly indifferent to the comfort and
feelings of others, do you think so?"
"Indeed, no! And is that what he is?"
"I will illustrate by an incident," said Mrs. Paynter. "As I say, this
young man spends his entire time in his room, where he is, I believe,
engaged in writing a book."
"Oh, me! Then he's penniless, depend upon it."
"Well, when we had the