The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-06-01
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JEANS HOUR OF TRIUMPH.

even though Jdch ranged himself on TIL
side of those who called her scheme i'm
practicable and foolish. And Jack was TIN
young fellow, telegraph operator, t,
whom she was to be married the mex
week.
When marriage was seriously discussed
at the end of their long courtship, it hat
been suggested that they should either liv,
with Jeans father-or take a couple o
pleasant furnished rooms until they saw
their way to go to housekeeping. Then i
was that Jean gave the first curious proc
of her woman's impracticablity.
''No," she said, II want to 90 to house
keeping as soon as we are married."
So do |, said Jack, 'but how are we t.
manage it? Setting up housekeeping
means turning your rooms into kitchen
No, don't mean that sort of makeshift
housekeeping, interrupted Jean. | mean
taking small fiat furnishing it, and be.
ginning life as housekeepers on our own
account.
Jack laughed rather uneasly.
cts all very well to talk of furnishing, "
he said, "but you know very well, Jean, |
haven't any money for furnishing fiat,
and I'm sure you haven't
"Well, | don't know about that" said
Jean. "Iou keep what little you'v got
saved up, Jack, and add to it as much as
you can dear, I'll furnish the fiat"
"You?"
YES sir, |. I've got 800 saved up,
and with 500 III furnish flat of four
rooms-parlor, bedroom, dining room and
kitchen-and I'll furnish it so nicely that
We'll neither of us be ashamed to ask our
friends to visit us in it,"
At this Jack burst out laughing, and
thought it was so good joke that he told
the old folks, and they had great sport at
jeans expense.
''That S all right, " said Jean. 81 don t
read the newspaper advertisements and
look into store windows and visit bargain
counters for nothing. | want to tell you
folks that right here in New York you can
furnish four rooms comfortably, nicely and
neatly for 800.
eyes, said her mother, with lot OF
secondhand stuff"
"No," replied Jean, 81 mean with all
new, good material and without espt cially
hunting for bargains, either"
"Well, now, look here, my girl" said
her father ''maybe you're right, maybe
you're wrong. Certain it is that things
are wonderfully cheap nowadays, but 500
my but that's small sum to do any
thing with in New York. Now, see here
Jean, I'll tell you what I'll do. You g
ahead, pick out your four-room flat witt
Jack, and then if you furnish it for 500 81
that it looks neither poor nor cheap, why
I'll give you another hundred dollars, JUS
to cultivate home talent, on the presenta
ton of a receipted bill for every article il
the apartment"
"I'll do it, said Jean, stoutly, "and
more than that, III do it in three days
and won't ask cents worth of assistance
or advice from any of you-not even o.
Jack.
That was ON Sunday, the flat was found
by Wednesday afternoon, and they saw
very little of Jean for the next three days
She was very quiet and very tired each
evening, but her mother took charge of her
simple trousseau so as to give her some
Sat
when they had all sat down to tea Jean
said very quietly that she should be very
glad if they would 90 over with her to
Fiftieth street to see her house.
They saw that she was rather nervous,
and so spoke of other things as they walked
over from Sixth avenue When they
reached the flat house, Jean, who knew the
value of effect, asked the janitor if he
would not light up for her before she took
her people up. stairs, and the janitor, who
had been taken largely into her confidence
and was not bit like most janitors, will
ngly ran ahead to attend to the llumina-
ton.
1t had been week $ hard work of find
ing and fitting for Jean, but she was amply
repaid.when she saw the look of surprise
which the folks wore when they walked
into her parlor grow into one of wonder as
they passed into the bedroom, and deepen
into one of amazement as they saw the
dinng-room and kitchen.
"Well, | must say it beats me- said
Jeans mother, while her father pulled hard
at his cigar and felt for the check in his
vest pocket as he walked from room to
room, and Jack gave her hug right be
fore them all all, and said he always knew
she was a wonder.
"Now, then, my GIRL" said her father,
when they had made the grand tour, "tell
us how you did it all
So Jean took them to the parlor, and
while the others sat down she moved
around, pointing out each thing, Snowman
fashion.
"Those curtains she began, care, OF
course, imitation Nottingham, but the pat.
tern is copied from the real article and
they are good enough to begin with The