Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-29
"THIS HOUSE TO LET!"
/" This house TO letr'


termed morning gown tioated like q
meteor on the troubled air." as he
rushed out before breakfast and wafered
the truculent-looking bill on the front
of the house with four fat red waters.
The milkman across the way stared;
the neighbours servant-maid paused in
her occupation of flirting dust into the
corners of the area and then out again;
the man who was yelling: bananas.
eight for quarter" stopped short, as
if he, too, contemplated a change of
base on the first of May In short, it
made a small sensation in the neighbor-
hood, and sensations, as we all know,
widen indefinitely.
While Mr.. Bayberry went back into
the house with the air of one who has
not lived in vain.
"There!' said he. "Pve put the bill
up
"Tm glad of it," said Mrs Bavberry.
a watery-eyed little woman, with blue
ribbons in her hair and blue nose to
correspond; 'for, between obstreperous
servant-girls, and everlasting plumbers
bills, and baby's teeth, and your Aunt
Miriam coming every little while to
stay month, I'm completely worn out
and tired of housekeeping. 1t will be
like a new lease of life to board for q
little while"
"Humphr' said Mr.. Bayberry. I'm
not SO sure of that. But the bill is up,
anyhow, and the next thing is to get
the old place rented and off our hands"
And with the striking of ten (the
house, as mentioned in the fine print of
the ITO Let" was visible between the
hours of ten and two), there set in a
solid phalanx of house-hunters of all
varieties, from the resolute old woman.
with the market basket and tow-cOlored
frock, to the newly-married young
woman, who seemed to regard this two
story brick mansion very much as she
had just left off regarding her doll
house.
At first Mrs. Bayberry endeavored to
treat the house-hunters politely, but she
soon discovered chat self-defcnse re-
quired different method of treatment;
and when Mrs. Toxley said that the GEL
lar smelled like an old vault, and that
the house wasn't fit for decent people to
live in, she simply remarked that there
was no law in the code requiring her
(Mrs. Toxley) to live in it if she didn't
like it.
"Ma'am." said Mrs. Toxlcy, 81 sup
posed that Twas speaking to lady,"
II didn't" said Mrs. Bayberry,
tersely.
Mrs. Fitzfaddle, the bride, didn't like
the location. Her James, she was sure,
wished to be nearer the park; and she
was sorry the house hadn't hardwood
finish and electric bells.
But" cried Mrs. Bayberry. "you
can't expect that sort of thing for six
hundred and fifty dollars ayear!'
The bride tossed her head. Evident
" she didn't mean to be dictated to.
Everybody was going into flats. now,
she said. and she didn't know why she
wasted her time in looking at dingy old
houses like this.
Old Mrs. Budget was of opinion that
the closets were too small and the pam
tries ill-ventilated. She was almost
sure she smelled diphtheria and typhoid
fever in the kitchen, and wanted to
know when the sanitary inspector had
last visited the premises; Mr.. Hardback.
stiff old bachelor. objected to the
nearness of the elevated railway; Mrs.
Hopkins, whose daughters had 'situa-
tions" in a downtown book-bindery,
took exceptions that it wasn't near
enough; Mrs. johnson smiled and
snuffed. and said she kne,o there was a
fat-boiling place somewhere in the
neighboriood, and Miss Rockwell was
quite certain that the tall red-brick in
the rear was tenement, and that peO-
pie in tenements had yellow fever, and
smallpox, and Asiatic cholera, and
everything else Of contagious nature.
And even after two O'clock, when
Mrs. Bayberry had retired into her room
to have Mysteries and green tea at her
leisure. the house-hunting public made
unceasing charge up the front steps and
at the door, still demanding admittance;
until, at last, Mrs. Bayberry, peering
through the window-blinds, saw a stout
gentleman coming up the steps, with a
gold-headed cane and q broad -brimmed
beaver hat.
Madam" said the old gentleman.
catching her eye through the angle OF
the Venetian Stats, Il wish to take this
house,
"You wish to look at it. you mean, -
said Mrs. Bayberry, feebly. But the
hours for Inspection"
MADAM" firmly repeated the old
gentleman, Il wish to take it. To en-
gage ito rent it from the first of May
next, at the sum of six hundred and fifty
dollars per annum."
But you haven't seen it" cried Mrs.
Bayberry.
Madam" said the old gentleman,
81 don't wish to see it. My family con-
sists of myself, an invalid relative, and
an old colored servant. And it must be
very poor house. indeed, if it does no,
meet our simple requirements. Shall l
take down the bill, ma am? My refer
ences are Lettall Il Co.. real estate
~%ents. No. -, Pine street,
-lf you pleaaA!' said Mrs. Bayberry,