Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-10-07


OF the discovery that the house was n
frame and nota brick structure; a man
who snapped his words with metallic
rattle was startled because there was
no city water; another, with O blood
red scarf and green shoes II would not
have had him for tenant under any
clrcumstances) mourned the absence
OF gas; still another was sorely disap-
pointed because there was no street
car line within easy walking distance.
During that and the succeeding four
days they came out, trotted me
through the inspection racket and
then completed the torment by firing
their alarming discoveries and obiec-
tions at me.
Summarized, I learned that the
place was decidedly Objectionable, be-
cause the rent was too high; there
were no speaking tubes in the house;
the cellar was not cemented; the house
had been built to be heated by fur
mace, and was therefore beyond the
reach of those of moderate means:
there Was not room enough; there was
too much room; the rooms were too
large and would require acres of car
pet to cover the floors; the grounds
were so extensive that the employment
OF man to care for them would be
necessary; there was no sidewalk; ;
trains were not sufficiently numerous;
it would all be nice enough for sum
mer, but when winter comes what's a
body to do?-and so forth. OF course
the advertisement expressly described
this as frame house of nine rooms,
the grounds of about three acres in
extent, the water supply as coming
from well and clstern, the railway
station as three blocks away, and the
rental as 500 month. And yet scores
of men and women who were in search
of brick house of six rooms, with city
water, sewer connections, speaking
tubes, gas and bath, on the line of a
street railway, came out to inspect my
property and annihilate me with their
objections to it. | thought | was
plain-speaking, plain writing man. L
am not.
The week passed and the house was
still on my hands. 1t was Saturday,
and L had reached the conclusion that
would lock up the place that even
ing, return to my bachelor apartments
in the city, and let some agent sell the
property to the first bidder and re-
lieve me from strain that was fast
putting gray hairs into my head. 1 had
disposed myself in the rocker ON the
veranda when 1 noticed that the early
afternoon train deposited three per-
sons on the station platform, who i'm
mediatel y took the path leading up to
the stretch of grassy hillside and ter
minating at my gate. AS they drew
nearer was able to distinguish that
one was an elderly gentlemen with
snowy hair and mustache, another a
man in middle life with a sandy beard
and mustache and the third a lady of
about twenty. They came direct to the
gate, passed through it, and were mov-
ing slowly up the walk when L ad-
vanced to meet them. The young
lady was the spokesman. At least she
opened the interview by referring to
the advertisement as the moving
cause of their visit. I cannot for the
life of me explain why L thought so,
but instantly it fixed itself in my mind
that my tenants stood before me.
Twas justG bit nervous, but | gathered
myself together, and in five minutes
time we were walking together through
the house and talking pleasantly about
its arrangement, conveniences and such
like, and then made a tour of the
grounds. When we returned to the
veranda rendered the rocker to the
young woman, while the gentlemen
one, as I learned, her father, the other
her brother--and myself sat on the
steps. There would be no train to
the city for an hour, and we had am
pie time to discuss the object of their
visit and, incidentally, such personal
affairs as are wont to develop under
such circumstances. 1t was thus that
l learned that the old gentlemen was
a Virginian, upon whom the results of
the war had fallen rather disastrously,
and whose troubles from this source
had been augmented by the death of
his wife. His son was q member of
one OF the professions and amply
equipped mentally and financially to
provide for the family, while the
daughter, reared in true Virginia fash
ion, was to be housekeeper or general
charge daffaires. We agreed upon
terms, and it was arranged that Colonel
Kirby was to assume possession on the
following Monday. accompanied the
party to the station, gave them cor
dial goodby II confess it was reluc-
tant goodby 1 gave the young LADY,,
the train sped away toward the smoke
wreathed spires of the city, and left
me to my rocker and my reflections.
Bright and early Monday morning
procession of vans invaded Glover
syde and while the sturdy help was bus
lily engaged in the work of transferring
the contents to the house the Colonel
and his daughter reached the place by
train An ayrbanoa IF n fau oa,o,ol,