Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1896-03-13
A HOUSE TO LET.

1t was advertised in the papers after
this fashion: "a bijou residence, suit
able for small family. Charmingly stu
ated on one of the loveliest reaches of
the Thames. A house Of unique design
and exceptional sanitary arrangements.
Sloping garden to river, boat, boat
house, stabling, fruit garden" etc.
Yet despite the alluring character of
this announcement, the bijou residence
went through two seasons inlet, it's
notice boards leaning lower and lower
as the seasons went on over the stone
boxed fringed garden walls with pa
thetie irresponsibility.
At length, simultaneously one morn
ing in late July, two people caught the
glow Of that announcement from oppo-
site corners Of England--the one II
man, the other u woman-and they bent
their faces in its direction.
A geographical--as we'll as railway
time book--dispensatio decreed also
that those two people should make their
debut simultaneously at the little way
side station. situated some mile and u
half from the bijou residence in ques-
ton. After that, how much fate or des-
tiny had to do with it, how much man,
how much woman. remains problemut-
ical. defy two people Of the opposite
sexes to walk for mile and half
along boxed in country lane and not
be oppressively conscious Of each other.
/ defy man possessed Of the slightest
moiety Of taste not to pick out the vari-
GUS beauties Of that woman II she have
them and briefly tabulate them on the
retina OF his appreciation as he walks.
1 defy her, IL she have grain Of that
coquetry which Is said to be innate in
woman, not to display those beauties to
the best advantage for his especial do
location.
And what woman ever walks along a
country road rich in wild flowers with
out stopping every five minutes to pick
samples Of them?
Finally. the two drew up ut the gar
den gate, IL not simultaneously almost
so, the man pushing the gate wide for
her and waiting. and they arrived face
to face under the trellised porch.
The woman had put a bunch Of scarlet
rowan berries in her hat, correspond
ing bunch in her waistband. She held
sufficient wild grasses and fora in her
arms to decorate font at a harvest fes-
tival. Her dark gypsy face had caught a
glow from these berries; her dark eyes
shone; she was not young. the man
thought, but extremely attractive.
The sound Of advancing footsteps
footsteps presumably Of the caretaker-
reused him from his temporary aberra-
ton. 1t occurred to him that speech was
the only thing possible to save the situa-
ton. He raised his hat, displaying n
grizzled but patrician head, and smiled.
"Is the house let them" he asked.
Tho woman showed CLEAN Of teeth
under the rich undulating curve Of her
red lips
"That was just the question l was
going to put to you," she answered.
NO" he said. ~ have merely come
from Dorchester to look at 1t. ="
And l have come from Cromer.
In the pause of which announcement,
q woman, in sunbonnet and clogs, with
that reticence which the caretaker ex-
hibits when she does not want to let the
house, slowly opened tho door. She
moved back, making room for them to
enter, making at the same time de-
predatory movement with her bare
arms. "1t's all very nice and convenient
like" she said, indicating the tiny
drawing room Oh the right, the tiny din
ing room on the left, the lilliputian
kitchen In perspective, the narrow stair
way intervening, "fur bachelor, or a
spinster, but not fur them es Is married.
For them es IL married--an / fiatter
LII yself ea knows, being myself mar
ried woman-this ere bijou residence
ain Il all, nor yet quarter, large enough.
A man may be es fond O his wife es
ever it is possible fur i'm to be, u wo-
man may be es fond Of 'er husband on
'er ever ken be, but they don't want to
DO knocking up agin each other all the
Ivelong day.
Here tho figure in the rowan berries
sum marily disappeared into the tiny
drawing room. The tall patrician man,
preternaturally embarrassed, strobe into
tho tiny dining room, and tho garrulous
caretaker was left to finish her speech
to empty benches. She imagined herself
to be o woman of singular penetration,
however. 1t was her boast that she
could grasp a situation at q glance and
take it all in. Therefore she was by no
means Disconnected till futter Of skirts
smote her ear and the woman with the
rowan berries reappeared, the man hay
ing gone up stairs, saying in whisper,
with Indignation traceable in every
word:
"That gentleman is perfect stranger
to me. | have never seen him before
today in my life. We CHANGED to arrive
at the station together and to walk up
to the house together. And now you
can 20. There is no occasion for you to
follow me over the house. prefer to
look at it alone By tho bye" she add
ed, az should advise the owners Of it to
put it in other hands. You evidently
don't want to let it ~
1t does not take long to look over a
six roomed cottage. In ten minutes the
man was out ON the slope Of garden in
the rear looking idly ahead OF him
ACROSS the reach. He had seen in a fash
through the staircase window the rowan
berries going up stairs. He caught in a
fash now the rowan berries coming
down. :,
evil che 90 straight out by the hall
door, " he asked himself, "or come into
the gardenf"
A rustic of the silk skirts coming
down the path toward him, glimpse
of u comedy figure silhouetted momen
tarily against the pendent ivy, was tbs
agreeable answer to this query.