The Press., 1890-10-30

 much jewelry as there was room for on his person. His scrawny fingers gilt tered with rings set with diamonds, ru- bies, emeralds and sapphires; his cuffs, pulled down we'll over his wrists, were fastened with buttons of amethyst; a massive golden watch chain, with de- pendencies of charms and locksts, stretched from pocket to pocket across his stomach. and monstrous solitaire flashed from his cravat pin. To be sure, all this was very uncanny and repulsiye in way; but it was SO extraordinary, too, that taken in connection with the gentleman's extraordinary calling 1t only intensified my previous curiosity about him. Beside, the gleam in his bleary old eye was not unamiable. < He marched briskly into the room, and after brief glance at me and a po- lite bow began in rather 8 piping treble voice: Good morning, sair. You weesh to look at ze appartamenta Will you tek the trobble to walk opstairs?"
 don't know what had expected him to say, but was disappointed at what he did say; perfectly matter of fact and business like inquiry, with nothing more than a foreign accent to lend 1t oddity. That seemed scarcely worthy. of his get up.
 But "Yes," admitted, q should like to look at the apartment.
 And I followed him up two flights of stairs.
 The apartment comprised the whole of the third story of the house. There was good sized front room, 20 feet in depth by 25 in width, lighted by large window facing north, and behind that bedroom, 8 bathroom and a sitting room completed the suite. The front room or studio was well colored in neutral tints and the other rooms were pleasantly papered.
 ''What's the rentT' asked.
 "Eh, zat depend of low you tek," the exterminator replied, with that cockney like contempt for aspirates which dis tinguishes his nation. "Eef you tek by the mawns, feefty dollars mawns. Eef you tek by the year, five hundred for the year."
 This, which would have been dear enough in Paris or in London, for New York was cheap. had already looked
 
 only ones that were tolerably spacious and at the same time conveniently sit- uated were simply exorbitant in price. St. Marks place was accessible enough, and the quarter, if not fashionable, was picturesque; and my landlord would, | venturesomely surmised, prove to be rather a host in himself. So ssVery well; I'll take the place for year," said.
 "Aw right; that's aw right" he re- turned "And for reference? You re- fair me to?"-
 "Reference? 1 repeated. I was not aware that in New York would-be ten- ant, like would-be housemaid, must es- tablish character" Therefore, ssRef- erenceY' repeated. "How do you mean7'
 "Yes; sawmbody who knows you, to say if you are respectable and responsi- ble," he explained, with unfinching candor.
 "Why, do I look suspiciousr' I de- manded.
 He scrutinized me carefully before he committed himself to an answer. Then, sNo, sair; you do not: You look aw right" he vouchsafed, reassuringly. But it is my custom, halways wen rent an appartament, to hask and geeve refer ences. geeve you twenty wen we re- torn downstairs"
 ''Oh, l see. It is the custom. Oh, very we'll. refery you to my cousin, MT. Eliot Morgan, of the firm of Morgan, Wynn 6 Co.,, bankers, down in Wall street. Is that sufficient"
 You see rather fancied that the name of so eminent financier as Eliot Morgan, pronounced by me with cousinly famil- iarity, would perhaps little daunt my unconfding friend. But deceived my self.
 "Al right" was the exterminator's self possessed reply, "I go see MT. Nor gan tomorrow morning, and if he say you are aw right the appartament is yours.
 We went back to his office, and there he handed me circular advertising his business as an exterminator of insects. q undertake, by the particular job or on yearly contract, to exterminate all varieties of insects from your furniture, your clothing, your furs, your house. Moths speciality. Also, for sale in pound, half pound and quarter pound packages, or in any quantity, Muselle's Magic Insecticide, positively guaranteed as the best insect powder In the universe I refer by permission to the following well known citizens"- In number some thirty.
 ''Those ladies and gentlemen are of , my clients" he informed me. 'sI refair you to henny or hall of them"
 Tr7o% oc I xxyao 1ooviror ik roo,1vro1 %o~ ~, a to ask: "Oh, by the bye, are there any other artists in the houser
 '"There is young teddy hartist on the floor above you-the top floor. She is a female hartist, you understand. Her name is Mees- Wait; if pronounce it you will not know how to spell it; if spell it you will not know how it is pro- noance. write it for you"
 He procured pencil and 8 scrap of paper from his bookkeeper, and wrote in . stiff, old fashioned French hand, Miss Sophie Paulovna EcZardy."
 "You know hairr he questioned.
 'No; don't know her. It is an odd name. How should it be pronouncedY'
 "Wel, jus for fon, you tell me how you think"
 "Well, not as it's spelled. of course. Not Ecz-ardyY'
 "Oh, nun-nun-no. Hit is a 'Ungarian name, and they pronounce it jus like it was the letters Haich-ar-dee-Haich- ardy. Amt that fonny7"
 "Very. And who are they?"
 "The yoing teddy and her fazair. 'E K is one Doctor Eczardy. E Is an eenva- Iced. 'E die of cawnsomption, you on-