Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-06-21
THEIR FLAT.

possession, and on salary of $3OOOpe
year. The love answered many OF
their demands to the fullest extent, but
manifestly there was no way in which
it could be applied to the settlement OF
the family bills. AS for the $1,000, the
young husband was so determined that
his wife should have whatever she
wanted if money could buy it, and Mrs.
Through was so anxious that her dear
Charley should enjoy every comfort
priced by man, that the couple discoV-
cred an amazing deficit the first year,
and then an equally annoying one every
month about rent day. For little
while they found sympathizing parents
to help them out: then the head OF the
family discovered the fatal art of draw
ing his salary in advance; later came
an accumulation of tradesmen's bills,
and, consequently, an accumulation OF
duns. There also resulted some sleep
less nights, and headaches, and domes-
tic explosions, the effect of which were
only partly removed by tears. Finally
of course everything else was tried
frst-the couple determined on heroic
measures of economy. They would
give up the house they had furnished
so prettily, and go into fiat. They
knew other young couples who lived IN
flats-real nice people. too, SO why
should not they? 1t might seem some
what of a "come-down," and they could
not have as much company as they had
before; but, after all, what company
did they really care for, except each
other and their few most intimat
friends? Besides, were there not some
quite rich families who lived in flats ?
Flats were not city houses-each one
exactly like every other one; there
were large flats and small ones, flats
with elevators, flats in which the top
story was more desirable than the first
tioor-better still, there were flats on
the best avenues, whereas the Ebrough's
present home was on cross street. and
startingly near the plebeian part OF the
city.
So they went flat-hunting, and the
very first suite of apartments they saw
was on Madison Avenue, and had every
convenience and elegance that heart
could wish. They would have taken it
at once had not the rent been five thou
sand dollars per year. Some smaller
apartments on Fifth Avenue were less
costly, but at the end of their first day
of search Mr.. and Mrs. Through were
painfully silent and detected, for they
had seen nothing desirable except what
cost more thar the house they were in.
The next days experience depressed
their spirits still more; they were now
quite willing to take any sort of flat. in
almost any sort of street, if only it were
clean.
Atlast they found one. It was only
one flight up, it was in corner house
with light all around it, the rent was
| only one-half as much as they were now
paying. the house was too new to have
shown signs of wear, and the landlord
insisted that, as there were no children
the house must be quiet. Beside, thi:
particular fat was empty, and could b.
taken at once, at pro rata price, for thu
unexpired portion Of the month, so tn
moving could be done before the dread
full May-day. on which no carpetlayer
could be found and cartmen were ex
tortiorers.
And what a cosy home the Through
made in single day It is true tina
they were compelled to devote one roor
entirely to storage purposes. for the
had altogether too much furniture 70
the collective floor space. They ha
also to put the piano. for the first nigh
across the line that divided the parlors-
} an arrangement which. as Mrs. Ebroug