The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
SUBURB PARKS MYSTERY.
n RURAL PARADISB VT a HID
DEN HIT UPON IT.
Desire ore. R.-,aert- TO Sell Ths,r Hou.s,

The sun was shining brightly. the blue sky
was without a feck OF feecy down. birds were
twit:ering about them. and great arches of liv-
ing green were rustlinK softly overhead on the
day whom the Exurbans moved into Suburb
Park. Autumn was at the height of its beauty.
and gave the supreme touch to a scene oil coun-
try bliss, which was heightened by tho con-
sclousness that all the convenionces Of the city
were still within easy reach. Mr.. EKurbRn
hugCed himself with delight rs he got of tho
car and gnzed at the picture about him..
This is great no said, inhaling . long
breath of the pure, bracinR air.
Then he Toasted his eyes upon the ooouettish
cottages, the brilliant flower beds in front of
them, and the trim green lawns bathed in n
food of soft, golden liPht.
1T 10 perfectly grand" returned Mrs. Exur-
ban with enthusiasm. what . pity It Ia that
we didn't buy q house instead of only hiring
one. Then we could have settled down to mako
our homo here forever. And see There is
actually q house for sale I" =
so there is" replied Mr.. Exurban, turning to
look at it and trying to grasp the color scheme
OF It's wealth Of decoration and the general plan
of its gables and dormor Windows and peaks
and balconies and turrets.
1T would be just our luck" said Mrs. E1ur-
ban, anxiously. Ito have somebody come along
and snap 1t up before we had time to bny it."
"Ill see the agent about 1t Mt once" Mr.. Ex-
urban said.
Fortunately they found the real estate agent
waiting for them at their house. A shadow
passed OF his face as they came up the stoop.
How are you 2" he said cordially. II just
thought I'd be around to SEQ II you got here nil
right"
"Thanks." replied Mr.. Exurban. But say,
isn't u man q chump to live in the city when he
can come to q place like this ?"
"Exactly," asscnted the real estate agent.
"And now don't you think you'd like to take q
look at the furnace ?"
Might as weli.' returned Mr.. Exurban.
But say. doesn't 1t make a mar feel good TO
breathe this free air and see the trees and the
grass and be able to look all around him at tho
fields without having his view cut OF by rows
OF brown-stone houses 2"
Exactly" said the real estate agent. Now.
this furnace Is one that / can recommend per-
sonally. because know all about It. You'll find
II q remarkably superior article. It's not like
the furnace you'd find in the frst house you
came to-"
That's good" replied Mr.. Exurban. do
you know. I'd be satisfied to live, hero all my
life"
Exactly" said the real estate agent Now
let me show you how to run the furnace"
And then. while the real estate agent was rat
Ting and banging at the furnace, Mrs. Exurban
approached her husband with q mysterious face.
Don't say anything to him about that house
yet" she whispered under cover of the noise.
1--WE just seen across the street another house
with a For Sale sign ON 1t, and I think I'd like
1t better"
The real estate agent got. through with his
demonstration and went away. The EIurbans
accompanied him to the door. There they
glanced about them to get acquainted with their
new neighborhood. and. to their surprise, on
looking in another direction discovered @ third
house whose owner was anxious to part with It
Aren't We fortunate!" exclaimed Mrs. Ex-
urban. Now we have three nice houses to
choose from"
prove upon closer acquaintance. He came homo
brimful of its merits on the second day OF their
sojourn there.
"Only forty-fve minutes from tho office,
actual time" he said, chcerily. at the dinner
table. And see this water" holding up a glass.
Its as pure as crystal"
Yes" said Mrs. EIurbau.
"And tho air has made me positively raven
ous," he continued.
yes" said Mrs. E1urbsn.
And you don't know what o relief It is to
come among these trees and flowers after a day
in an Office shut in" he went on.
YES" said Mrs. E1urban.
At this third yes" Mr.. Exurbhn looked At
his wife and saw on her face an expression Of
serious concern.
Whats the matter, dear ?" he asked. II
hope there's nothing wrong ~
oh. no." she replied, making an evident
effort to look cheerful.
But what is troubling you ?" he insisted.
ITS really nothing" she answered.. trying to
evade the subject by giving her husband moro
pudding. Probably it's nothing more than q
mere fancy"
You must tell me-" he said. us It about tho
house? You are only making 1t worse by hid
ing It,"
until | was certain she said penitently; but
do you remember the first house we saw for
Yes" replied Mr.. Exurban.
And then right after it we saw another ?"
And then, Immediately afterward. We saw
another"
well. them she continued impressiyely, do
you know what the, first thing was that saw
when ! went out iP%.dnyr Three houses in a row,
Mr.. Exurban looked Mt his wife startled and
she looked back Mt HIM in triumph. After a
moment she continued
And do you remember how that real estate
agent kept talking about the furnace and how
good II was and how to run IL ~
lie wanted to help Us along" protested Mr..
rr ,En5 that nhi ian,s S1 y sNo l MrS' Tax, E.nFs s%o r cdnl
men were here today to SEQ how many tons OF
quite natural" returned her husband.
"We're new corners and they wanted to get our
trade"
Then" Mrs. ExurbAn retorted, how about
the man who came TO see If we didn't want all
the weather strips in the house renewed p"
OF course he came" Mr.. Exurban replied.
ut means that II a man doesn't go out hustling
for business. business won't come to him."
lit simply means" said Mrs. Exurban. speak
ing with slow, intense emphasis. that people
who have tried II winter here are being driven
away ny the cold. and so they all want to sell
their houses.''
!"Nonsense! nonsense! my dear exclaimed
Mr.. LxuTDAu with some feeling. and To prDyA to
his wife that she was altogether mistaken about
the matter he proceeded To read to her the sta
tistics given in the pamphlet published by tho
Suburb Park Real Estate Improvement Com
pany. which show that the place is ten degrees
New York itself.
Tho statistics were all very we'll in their way;
but the next day was Sunday. and when the
Exurbans went out walking. to get acquainted
with the place. the figures In the book were
routed by the regiments and battalions OF
houses for sale that they met. In ono group of
fifteen houses they counted sig that had For
Sale signs on them. 1t gave the Exurbans a
creepy feeling.
Perhaps some Goldsmith will DO writing n