The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-05
BILLINGS oUEERED HIMSELF.
Bungalow and Wouldn't
Have Den.

III the city if he chooses, but it makes
him very unpopular in the country"
said,Mr. Suburbanite Us he settled back
in his chair. Now there is Billings" he
added, pointedly.
billings is no snob," said Brown.
He is an old friend ri mine, and I'll
BAN, on Billings every time
That was what said before he built
house in my town. l told everyone
that Billings was all right, and now that
Billings has queered himself am in hot
water
billings was not man who was in
the habit of queering himself. What
did he do? Shoot neighbours dog?"
f'Oh, no." replied Suburbanite, weari-
ly. Billings offense was more serious
than that. He declined to call his house
The Bungalow and every one of his
neighbors resented it. In fact, he
wouldn't name the house at ALL
THAT is to his credit" said Brown.
no, it isn't, where Billings lives"
said Suburbanite. eff you have any
LEGAL pride at all you are bound to call
your house The Bungalow 1t is alb
sfsntely necessary"
Billings told me that he had built a
colonial house, and if he did that would
let him out. OF course, it would be alb
surd to call a colonial house bunga-
low"
THAT was just what Billings was
foolish enough to say" said Suburban
lite, land unfortunately four colonial
houses i'll his part of town were each
called THE Bungalow You see, the
local dealer in note paper agreed sew
eral years ago to get up special brand
headed The Bungalow with the num-
Der and street added to suit the pur-
chaser, if he were sure of having at
least a dozen customers who would or
der it. Owing to death and fire, the
number of Bungalows had been re-
duced to II when Billings began to
build, and the paper dealer was com
planning. When the rumor went the
rounds of the bowling clubs and whist
clubs that Billings had rejected the
name Bungalow, there was a commo-
ton, can tell you. AS I had vouched
for Billings, a delegation of indignant
house owners called on me at once and
asked me if Billings wanted to hurt the
town or if he was merely snob. 1 de-
Tended him as best l could, but it was
no use"
Poor Billings" said Brown.
THAT was not his only offense," con-
tinued Suburbanite. "When he gave his
house warming he thought that he
could make his neighbors forget the
Bungalow incident by his hospitality.
He had Hungarian band and caterer
from New York, and his house was well
decorated. Poor Billings! Some one
should have coached him. One of the
first guests to arrive was a woman who
has three daughters who are popular.
Consequently she is something of So
'cial power. She admired Billings par
lors, his dining-room and his billiard
room, and then said:
"'Now, Mr.. Billings, as near neigh
Dor and a friend. am going to ask you
a favor. l think the keynote of every
mans house is his den. 1t indicates his
tdolCS anu lduo, AOh NhON, anu am SO-
ing to ask you to show me your dem
"'But 1 haven't got any den,' said
Billings.
CHOW, Mr.. Billings she persisted,
that is hardly fair. am so anxious to
see it."
''Really there is no such place in my
house. he said. 4 suspect that you
mean one of those stuffy little cubby
holes usually filled up with a lot of
trash until you can't move, and cher
ished as the exclusive retiring place of
the master of the house. | called to see
my plumber while the house was build
ing, and he took me up to see his den
as he called it. The place was well
named. You certainly didn't think that
l would have den in my house?'
Every house in the neighborhood
has den,' she answered, sharply, and
some of them are quite as nice houses
as yours, Mr.. Billings
Before ne evening was ended sew
eral other women asked Mr.. Billings
where his den was, and when it became
known that to add to his offensive reiec-
ton of the Bungalow he had neglected
to fit up a den his doom was sealed
Billings says that he paid for the house
and he can do as he chooses with it, but
he surely has made two mistakes"
Poor Billings" said Brown again.
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