, 1876-03-17

] "
deed. But I Jided my time l am not
going to let out my secret, and betray the
network of little artifces | used to carry
out my design. The fact remains to be
stated that week from the day on which
had first mentioned the subject to John,
he told me, on going to his business after
breakfast, that I might please myself;
| that his great wish was to see me happy,
and ifit would make me more 81, might
let our house, and find a boarding house as
soon as pleased. Somehow | felt lit
tie badly then, as if, after all, might
have been a wee bit selfish and wilful,
but l soon persuaded myself into think
ing that we should both be more really
comfortable in boarding; so before dinner
time, | had notice up by our front
door, which had painted myself with
big brush and some black paint, "To
Let! Inquire Within" Then l went
across the street to admire my work.
The letters certainly looked to me as il
they had been out on a spree all night,
and were tum6ling against each other for
support but thought that other people
would not be so critical as I, and went in
doors to search the newspaper for an ad-
vertisement of a boarding-place. There
was only one, which read thus
"BOARDlNG.-Two unfurnished rooms, with
board, may be obtained in the house OF a
widow lady. Unexceptionable references re-
quired. Address, &c"
"The very thing" l thought to myself.
"The house of widow lady would prob.
ably be quiet and comfortable, and there
would be no vulgar man round making
noise. We can furnish no end of ref
erences, and will go as soon as we have
finished dinner, and secure the rooms. "
Then l went to attend to some cookery.
and while l was thus engaged, there came
a sharp Peremptory ring atthe front door,
followed by another, and another in such
quick succession, that made sure some
thing dreadful had happened. 1 rushed
to the door, moro than half expecting to
see John brought home on q shutter, half
killed by some frightful accident, and
thinking self-reproachfully of certain lit
tie wicked speeches of mine, opened it,
with terror stricken face, am sure, as
the bell sent forth a still louder peal, and
there stood a seedy looking, unshaven
man, with his hat on one side, and hands
in his pockets. was about to shut the
door in his face, thinking him 4 beggar,
when he cried, "Say, how many rooms is
there in this housei' "Eight," replied,
shortly. "What's the rentf' was the next
question. I hesitated, John had left
everything entirely to me, and had over
looked this important point. "Fifty dol
lars month, said, boldly.
The man stared at me 4 moment in
surprise, and then turned and walked of
without word. l quickly locked the
door, and put the chain mp, as the man,
/ thought, might be a housebreaker, and
return to rob us--he looked capable of it
Il had just got my kitchen apron on, and
was beating up the whites Of some eggs
to froth pudding with, when there came
another ring at the bell. "BOtherl''
cried, setting my plate of egg down on
the table with such 9 jerk, that the slip
perry whites glided elegantly of, just
smearing the table before they landed in
an uneatable mass on the kitchen floor.
But the ring was repeated, and must not
linger. So, with ruffied look (though
not ruffied neck trimming) went TO
the door, and at once felt horribly con-
scious Of my common apron, and the
other defects of my toilet, for there stood
a tall, graceful lady, dressed in the ex-
treme of fashion. She languidly made q
few inquiries, while / felt she was eyeinp
my dress, and noting by instinct all Its
deficiencies, and then said she would like
to see the house. took her into the
parlor, which she silently examined with
the aid of an eye-glass, and then com.
menced criticising the hall, not approving
of our choice of papering, which she
said should be lighter and vanished
Then the stairs were far too narrow, and
the steps too high; she had neoer beer
accustomed to such common stepsi Up
stairs everything was wrong. Our pretty
front bedroom, which we had foolishly
imagined to be perfection, turned out to
be too low, and to possess too many win.
dows; to need a moulding, and to be IN.
linhabitable without q dressing room
leading from It'll The second bedroom
was, to my surprise, considered a trihc
better, and would almostdo if it had new
painting and papering, and then she
asked to see the bath room.
1--WE have monet" faltered.
Oil the whitening look that met mins
I-"No bath roomi" the ele0ante ex
claimed, "Why, l thought that ever
family with any pretension to gentility
had that. But suppose your husband
might turn one of the smaller bedrooms
into one."
'aNo doubt he could do so If he wished,
l replied, angry with myself for being
snubbed and broken spirited by thi
woman.
Well, we even climbed up into the at
tic, and had to endure all sorts Of hard
speeches about our home, which mad
me inwsrdly rage, and then we descendeS
to the parlor.
"What rent do you ask for this house1'
asked my tormentor.
II think it will be thirty-iVs dollars I
month, /" said /, in nay uncertainty vha
would be fair price. She seemed Il
divine that knew nothing about rents
and put on as great an appearance o
astonishment as was consistent with he
: elegance.
"Why" she exclaimed, 81 never hearC
Of such . sum for house like this. /
there were all the modern Improvements
the case would be different, but ther
: would be so much to be done to rende
this house fit to be lived in, that thirty-fv
} dollars is an absurd price to ask. If yol
; had said twenty-five, should have con
} sidered it quite enough
! II would never let the house for o
} paltry q sum as that" said, angrily.
! "Indeedl we'll, assure you that yol
} will get no more for il, as ANYBODY VIII
has seen anything of the world, and know