The Portland daily press., 1888-01-09

in every ROOM"
''Most likely mine has plenty of closets"
saws Jack; "only can't remember. Besides,
l never did see much good in closets, any,
way. Things are always getting tucked
away in them and lost. Then you have to
buy more, so that it is great saving not to
have them. I'll tell you what my house has,
though--a first rate vegetable garden"
"Who cares for vegetable garden?" l
cry. becoming a little exasperated. I'VE
can buy all the vegetables we want, and, be-
sides, who is going to take care OF IT, II you
are going to be in town all day? don't
suppose you mediate sitting up nights to
dig and weed. We should have to hire
man. and his wages would come to more
than the price of the vegetables. Now my
house has beautiful flower beds in front, and
flowers that stay, roses and larKspur and day
lilies and SUCH
milne has grape vines and currant bushes
and two pear trees" says Jack, triumphant
". "You know you like pears, little wo-
man."
"Some kinds" say, obviously. 81 know
yours are the tough, bitter kind, full of little
hard knots. The trees are only in blossom
yet, so you couldn't tell"
Neither could you for that matter" says
Jack. 81 might as we'll say that sll your
roses are wormy, and dare say they are"
Nonsense l say, peevishly. you're
determined not to like my house. What col
or is yours?"
COLOR" says Jack, looking puzzled.
swell, really-oh, brown think; yes, brown
with red blinds"
''Red blinds?" l cry, in horror. "Oh,
never could stand red blinds, never in the
world. They're hot, and they're dreadful
for the eyes, and they're just horrid. How
could you pick out house with red blinds,
unless it was just to spite me?"
"Well, well" said JACK; "a pot of paint
would soon remedy that. Besides, my blinds
are not the sort of red you're thinking of.
They're so dark that-maybe you would not
call them red, after all. What color is your
house?
"Gray," l say, "a very dark gray, with
brown blinds just picked out with red. Not
enough to hurt, you know, only just line
or two. And. oh, Jack! the parlor is so
pleasant! 1t has bay window and two
others, and can make it just lovely"
my house has a beautiful dining room,"
says Jack, large and light and looking to
the south. A dining-room ought to be the
most cheerful room in the house."
"And where is the kitchen?"
Jack looks blank. Really, don't know.
Downstairs, think. But it is.a good kitch-
en-. asked particularly"
SIS there dumb water?" l ask. and
again Jack looks puzzled.
81 don't know" he says, slowly. "Do
houses generally have dumb walters in the
country?"
"Jack" / exciaim, Indignantly. "Of
course they do, when there is downstairs
kitchen. How could one servant spend her
time in carrying the meals up and down?
Now my kitchen is on the same floor as the
dining-room, but separated from it by short
passage, so that the smell of cooking cannot
reach it,"
"The smell of cooking can't we'll come into
the dining room from downstairs Kitchen"
says Jack
Eyes, it can" say; sup the dumb waiter.
1t will always be just full of it,"
''But you don't know that there is a dumb
waiter, says JACK, laughing
"Then that's WORSE" cry. "But l see
just what is. You've made up your mind
that we are to go and live in your house
whether it suits or not, and you don't care
bit that mine is ever so much better in every
way, and"
"Why Ethel, Ethel, what ails you?" cries
Jack. looking at me in simple amazement,
Il am quite sure never said ANYTHING of
the kind, and never saw you like this be-
FORE"
That is quite true, as very well know. /
struggle moment against the conviction;
then sudden flood of remorse rushes over
me. can't we'll burst into tears in a hotel
dining-room, and I fight valiantly against
the choky feeling in my throat and try to
wink away the salt drops that rise to my
eyes.
Poor little woman!" says Jacd, seeing
my efforts. "You are just worn out. Never
mind, dear, know what it all means. You
are tired and overheated and nervous, and
ought not to have let you do so much.
have no doubt at all that your house is better
than mine Women are always better judges
of such things than men. The best thing we
can do is to go straight to the agent and take
your house, and then go home quietly"
But Jacks amiability is the finishing
stroke.
"Oh. jack" cry, II am a wretch! l am
thoroughly ashamed of myself. don't be-
lieve my house will do at all, and / know
that yours is just what we want. No. What
we will do is to go straight to your agent and
take your house. l know mine can't hold
candle to it.
Jack laughs. 1--WE seem to have changed
sides rather suddenly" says, "and not to be
mubh nearer to settlement I'll tell you
what we will do. We have nearly an hour
yet before the next train goes. will tell
your hackman to drive us to your house. and
after we have seen that we will go on to
mine. Then we can make up our minds. aud
write to the agent of the one we decide
upon"
81 know it will be yours" say; but
Jack shakes is.head.
"More likely yours" he says. "Women
always know more about such things than
men. At all events it is well to have
choice"
The hackman takes us back by the way
which / travelled before and which l re-
membered well. am careful to point out
all its beauties to Jack, the heavy trees
which nearly meet overhead, the saucy little
brook which ranibles across the road under
the messy stone bridge; the pretty cottages
standing each in its own space of greenery
on one side of the street; the open fields on
the other, which give the impression of air
and space, for which pine.
The house is reached at last, and Jack
looks at it without word.
"Isn't it pretty shade of gray, JACKIE" l
ask, wistfully. And those dark shutters,
with their red markings, make such nice
finish to it. But know yours is much pref
tier" add, with magnanimity of which
the effect is, fear, little injured by faint
sigh.
"Gray, is it?" said Jack. 81 never was
good on colors you know, but-well, yes, it's
very pretty. | like the shutters, too. Brown
you say they are? never had any eye for
colors, you know"
We enter the front door, and the lady, Mrs
Pierson 1 find her name to be, greets us
smiliDgly.
"You have come to look at it together"