Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-10-26
THIS HOUSE TO LET.

llllO klOOOI III ALl.
There 1t was, most unquestionably-in
fat, black letters.
'This house to Leland no mistake about
It, either" unused Mr.. Briggs, stirring his
cup of cold coffee and looking distastefully
at the one boiled egg that lay before him.
1.-THE fact is, Pm sick of keeping house; coal
always out, taxes always due. I won't
stand It any longer"
He stopped abruptly; there was ring at
the doorbell
A specialized old lady stood on the door.
steps, in shabby bombazine and furs that
looked az If they might have grown on the
back of some dissipated cat.
"This ERE house to LETT"
eyes, ma'am."
water pipes In order9 Cellar dry'
Paint newr Furnace work good2 Roof
soundf Chandeliers 60 with the housef
Possession right Off Neighborhood goodi
Methodist church anywhere near? Any
objection to children ventilators in the
rooms2 CHEEKY closets Off the dining
roomf"
"Ma'aml" calculated poor Nahum, fairly
stunned by the torrent of questions.
whats the rent'"
"Twelve hundred dollars"
Twelve hundred flddlesticksp' shrieked
the old lady. why, you must be crazy.
Say 5000, and I'll look at the rooms"
II won't say anything of the sort"
So saying, Nahum Briggs closed the door
in the face of the old lady with the furs.
Scarcely had the old lady got safely
around the corner and Mr.. Briggs recovered
his ruffled faculties when there came an
other sharp Standardization of the bella
languid lady this time. with stiff looking
gentleman who appeared to be engaged In
holding on his mustache. With this couple
Mr.. Nahum trotted to the top of the house
and down again.
"Adolphus, my DEAR" said the lady.
"Well, my dearW
Don't you think these ceilings are very
lowi And then tho backyard is so very
small. And the dining room Is SO incon-
venient. And-Im really afraid there are
obnoxious insects in the bedrooms"
Really, ma'am," said Nahum, bristling
up, "is there any other fault to fndf Be
cause, If there isn't, there's the front door,"
Two young damsels and a spinster aunt
followed, and after lengthy inspection of
the premises came to state council in the
parlors
II like the house very much" said the
spinster aunt solemnly, land with few
slight alterations I will engage 1t for my
brothers. family"
VERY good, ma'am," said Nahum, rub
bling his hands and scenting speedy ter
mination to his trials. Name EN-"
"The door handles must all be gilded, and
should like the house new papered and re-
painted, and the partition between the par
lors taken down and replaced by an arch,
and an extension dining room built out be-
hind, and bay window thrown out of the
parlor, and a new style of range in the
kitchen, and dumbwaiter put In, and new
bronze chandeliers throughout, and another
furnace in the subcellar, and"-
Hold on, ma'am-just hold on one min
ute" said Nahum, gasping for breath.
Wouldn't you like the old house carried
away and new one put in its placei
think it would be rather less trouble than
to make the trifing alterations you sug-
gest."
With prim dignity the lady marshaled
her two charges out, muttering something
about the "extortionate ideas of some land
lords nowadays"
Another lady, but quito different from
the other-a slender, little, cast down lady
with head that dropped like lily of the
valley, and dress Of brown silk that had
been mended and darned and turned and
retrimmed until even Nahum Briggs, man
and bachelor though he was, could see how
very shabby 1t was
Yet she was pretty. with big blue eyes
and shining brown hair and cheeks Hinged
with faint, feeting color, where the vel
vety roses of youth had once bloomed in
vivid carmine.
And the golden haired little lassies who
chung to her dress were as like her as tiny
lily buds to full bloomed flower bells.
As Nahum Briggs stood looking at her
there came back to him the sunshiny days
of his youth-a field of clover and q blue
eyed girl leaning over the fence, with her
bright hair barred with sunset gold-and
he knew that he was standing face to face
with the girl whose blue eyes had kept him
An old bachelor all his life.
"This house is to let, I believer" she asked
timidly.
II believe it is, Barbara Wylie."
She looked up, starting with sudden
flush Of recognition.
III you please, Mr.. Briggs, I will look at
the house. I am widow now and very
poor, and-and think Of keeping board
Ing house to earn my bread. hope the
rent is not very high"
"We'll talk about the rent afterward,"
said Nahum, swallowing big lump In his
throat. "Come here, little girls, and kiss
me. ! used to know your mamma when
she wasn't much bigger than you are"
Barbara, with her blue eyes still droop-
ing, went all over the house without find.
ing word of fault, and Nahum Briggs
walked at her side, wondering if 1t really
was Is years since the June sunshine lay
20 brightly on the clover field.
II think the house ia beautiful" said the
meek Barbara. will you rent it to meS"
"Well, yes" said Nahum thoughtfully.
"I'll let you have the house If you want
II, Barbara"
with the privilege Of keeping few
boarders?"
''NoW
Barbara stopped and looked wistfully at
him.
'But don't think you understand how
very poor am Mr.. Briggs"
"t'll tell you what, Barbara" said Mr..
Briggs dictatorially, "I'll give you the priv
ilege of keeping just one boarder, and him
you've got to keep all your life if you once
take him."
II don't think quite understand you,
Mr.. Briggs" said Barbara. But one 10
rather inclined to think she told little fib.
"What do you say to me for boarder,
Barbara" said the old bachelor, taking
both the widows hands In his. Barbara,
I'll do my best to be good husband toyou
II you'll be my wife,"
Barbara blushed again and hesitated,
but Nahum was not to be eluded.
"Shall take down the to let Barbara"
"Yes," she murmured, almost under her