The Monitor-register., 1897-03-05
THE MUTINY AT REDWOOD

have been other buildings whose stair
ways were made of finer marble, whose
plate glass was trifle heavier, and
whose telephone wires got crossed less
frequently, but they we've not occupied
by people with such large incomes and
such irreproacha BILE records as was the
Renwood. 1t was great feather in ones
cap to have the name of living there.
There was nothing like it for gaining
social distinction. Families that found
the way to v ellth and were on the out
look for the road that led into sOciety's
exalted sphere bad been known to resort
to every plan that could be devised by
inventive minds for reaching the desired
haven without avail; but as soon as they
took rooms at the Rem wood all prejudice
was swept away and they sailed trium
phantly on to their goal.
If woman gave tea and the society
columns of the newspapers contained
paragraphs descriptive of the "assem blage
of wit and beauty at the home of Mrs
Mark, who is residing at the Renwood
this winter" that good woman's reputa.
tion as society leader was straightway
established. When somebody else went
shopping and said: "Sepd it to Rem ood, u
the clerks knew at once they we're deal.
ing with person who scintillated as one
OF the most sparkling lights in that upper
world of which they caught faint glimpses
over the counter now and then, and they
humbled themselves accordingly. Tt was
considered a great honor to correspond
with any one who was domiciled at the
Renwo ood, and Reuwood women fire..
quently received notes which they were
compelled to answer in common courtesy
The recipients of these replies, however
brief and formal they might be, always
took particular pains to show them and
speak casually: 81 have received letter
from my friend, Mrs. Blank, W ho lives al
the Renwood," and everybody, even to
the fourth and fifth circles of our great
and complex social system, seemed tt
take on an air of exclusiveness from the
little transaction and felt themselves
raised several degrees in thu estimation
of the world.
But it required a great deal of W ire
pulling to secure accommodations at the
Renwood People who wished to reside
there had to put in their application
months beforehand, just as would-bt
incumbents of appoiptive Government
tions file their petitions and await thei
turn. The Renwood contained bu
twenty five apartments, and as people
seldom moved and the list of application
was lengthy, it seen ed foregone con
clusion that there were good man!
anxious aspirants who would pas
through time and eternity without find
iug shelter beneath the Renwood's roof
Another thing that made admission
difficult to any except recognized socia
lights was the rigid examin alton through
which each new tenant was required tt
pass. Men who had come through civi
service examinations with an average o.
SO per cent, and still others who haG
taken their degrees at West Point
Annapolis and Yale, fell down on thu
questions put to them by the proprietor
of the Renwood. Age, pedigree, occupa
tion aud amount of wealth we're sworn tt
before notary public, and those interest
ing family histories were pasted in s
folio sized, morocco. bound book, which
was kept on a special table in the recep
tion room, where other residents of tht
Renwood might refer to it at any time
and see just whom they were associatine
with.
1t would be difficult to determine who
was responsible for the ultra exclusives.
of the Renwood. 1t certainly was no
the proprietor. He was a plain, unas
suming man, whose tastes were inclined
decidedly toward simplicity rather thar
ostentation, and when lie bought the sitt
of the Renwood ard put up bis fut
building be had no intention of making
it other than a first-class apartment
house, which should rank with the otherl
of its kind. He proposed to conduct hi
business in a modest, quiet way, anc
when he found that his house was becom
ilg a regular Mecca for the swell set the
shock Of the surprise very nearly incapci
tated him for business. The first membe
of the fashiona BILE clans to come to hin
was Mrs Clyde Moore. After that th'
Renwood simply seemed to grow int
favor without any especial effort from
any one. Mrs. Moore unconsciously
served as q brilliant orb which attr acted
numerous satellites to circle round her,
and before Mr.. Merrick was aware o
what was taking place his fortune wal
made.
The unexpected social maelstrom il
which he found himself helplessly float
ing around was very bewilderiDg. The
Renwood-like many another thing
unexplained-had acquired unparalleled
celebrity without any adequate cause, sc
far as he could see, and it took hi some
time to learn to accept the situation
philosophcslly. There were a good
many times W hen he longed for a period
during which he could assume once more
the careless habits of former days, bui
his business acumen babe him cater te
Fashion, who had taken him firmly
within her grasp, and he stood valiantly
at his post, managing his property and
collecting his wonderful rentals.
Up to last November there had been nj
changes made in the place for a gooC
many months. Then tFa family that hat
occupied apartment No. 10 for the past
two wears went to Denver and gave tht
somebody else chance. The lucky ont
who was first on the list was woman.
She passed through the examination but
with one mark to her discredit; she was (
widow. Somehow the Renwood had
always Disseminated against widows
The other women iu the house, especially
Mrs Hannibal Wade, who had gradually
grown to be regarded as leader, and
who had helped to revise the lates
catechism, objected to them.
s'If you can help it, Mr.. Merrick, " Mrs
Wade said to the proprietor one day
when she was inficting one of her conf
dental talks upon him, never taa'
Widows in the house The most of them
have worried one man into the grave o
the divorce court, and their sole object
in living is to entrap other victims.