The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-13
THE TWO FLATS.

He had "a fiat and she had fiat. It was
about fats they Logan To talk when first
they met.
Said he, "Mine is tho most convenient
little place.
"Oh SO Is mine," said she.
81 have charming sitting room and a
little dining room. My own bedroom Is
quite u regal apartment, and have lit
tie den where can always put fellow
up"
81 have three bedrooms" quoth she.
"But not bathroom" he said firmly.
Snow, p
"But l have a bathroom-a beauty.
Heaps of hot water"
"Mine has a shower bath"
81 can't say care about a shower bath"
She became gracious. She said: "You
must come and see my fiat. / am always
at home OIL Sundays"
And he went. The porter kept him
waiting some minutes In tho hall. He
CROPPED with aggressive caution in the pas
sage when the maid had admitted him,
and knocked over the umbrella loudly.
His smile was beautiful and bland as he
entered her drawing room.
81 am SO sorry to enter in such n noisy
fashion, " he said, "but it's so dark in your
passage that could sec nothing, and I'm
| afraid have knocked over lot of things"
"We have the electric light, F" she replied
sharply. "Why was it not turned ony'
Perhaps something has gone wrong
| with it" he said kindly. "Theso electric
f, lights are not quite dependable. always
use old fashioned lamps myself.
lawfully nifty, aren't theys" she said
laughing and holding her nose.
II think could give you hint about
your mantelpiece, he said presently. "If
you saw mine, its"-
"But haven't seen yours, you see, and
at present am quite pleased with my
own" The atmosphere was charged with
war.
He planned little dinner, with the
theater afterward. She must see his fat.
Her aunt should chaperon her, and he
would ask Heathcote-she knew Heath
cote; he was at the dinner the other night
| to make fourth. "My dining room is
| only slip of ROOM
"Ah, you should sec mine!" she cried,
ungratefully.
She took him along the passage (now
lit) and flung open the dining room door.
Every hot In summer time, I'm afraid, Z"
| he said doubtfuily.
"And warm in winter"
summoning her parlor maid without get
ting up from the table, her oak sideboard
picked up, a great bargain, at country
sale ("Some little bits of it really are
genuine" ne said); her new blinds, her
book shelves, her escritoire with the funny
little drawers.
His whole air said, "Wait till Wednes.
day." Wednesday was the day she was
to dine with him.
"Oh, I wish could show him the bed
rooms" she thought. my own dressing
| table and the spare bedroom carpet would,
must, impress him. But perhaps he
would think 1t odd"
"What like about my fat" he said,
| walking down the passage again and
| shifting slightly, "is the little hall.
have little hall with q skylight, and 1t
makes the whole place no light and airy. Z"
| "Rather waste of room, isn't itf'
"Oh, no! l use it as smoking room. {"
every room must smell of tobacco" 4"
| she said, bidding him goodby. $50 drafty
| too!'
"But one doesn't bark ones shins in
| it, he said, smiling, and knocking over
| the umbrella again.
She said to herself, with religious fer
vor, "Oh, will be nasty about his things
on wednesday,!
But her aunt spoiled it ALL Her aunt
| was prepared to be pleased with every
| thing. Her aunt had no tact. She adj
mired his room (where they left their
| cloaks), his hall, his lamps, even his hor
! rid little dining room; while her niece
| wrung her hands and writhed.
81 really believe" said the aunt, good
naturedly. II really believe i like this
| fat better than my niece's.
II couldn't live in such a piace!" cried
her niece wildly, and Mr. Heathcote stared.
His triumph disposed him kindly toward
| her. He came often tn her fat. He once
| admired her ceilings. He said the dining
| room was sunny. He proposed. Sho &C
| cepted him. And they forgot all their
| quarrels and became sentimental at once.
| "The fat hns felt a little lonely some
| times, she admitted. but nowr' Sho
| gave him a fond look.
my sitting room just wants woman's
touch, he said. And it was an enormous
concession TO make. "But now, sweetest,
| it will bo perfect"
"You will be able to hang all my pic
tures," she went on. II have always had
an upholsterer to do IL before"
"And you shall hold the nails, darling"
"You will be able to fuss about the hot
water pipes when they go wrong" she
said. And rs sho added up his occupa-
tions she was delighted to find that even
man has his uses.
My hot water pipes do not go wrong"
he said superbly.
"But mine do"
"When you come to my home, love''-
"Whcn you come to mine"
al do not think you can seriously sup
| pose, dearest, that 1t would not be more
| fitting that my fiat should now be our
| joint home"
my dear 10y, It would not hold u.s."
1T will hold us admirably. The small
| bedroom shall be my dressing room, and
the hall-well, you know, the hall can be
| anything"
My dining room will dine ten people.
| What should wei
"Mine is a cozy little place for two."
"But the extra bedroom, dear, and tho
electric light"