Morris tribune., 1898-04-20
BILLINGS oUEERED HIMSELF
Wouldn't Call His Colonial House Bum
galow and Wouldn't Have q Den.

| SuOD III Tue CITY IL u6 CuOOS6S, Uul IL
makes him very unpopular in the
country" said Mr.. Suburbanite as
he settled back in his chair. "Now,
there is Billings, " he added pointed.
| ly.
Billings is no snob, said Brown.
"He is an old friend of mine, and
I'll bank on Billings every time.
"That was what / said before he
built a house in my town. I told
every one that Billings was all
right, and now that Billings has
sueered himself I am in hot water. "
Billings was not man who was
in the habit of queering himself.
What did he dor Shoot neighbours
dog9"
ooh, mol" replied Suburbanite
YEARLY. 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.
mo, it isn't-where Billings
lives" said Suburbanite. IF you
have any local pride at all, you are
bound to call your house the Bunga-
low 1t is absolutely necessary"
Billings told me that he had
built colonial house, and if he did
that would let him out. Of course
it would be absurd to call colonial
house bungalow"
! "That was just what Billings was
foolish enough to say" said Sub
urbanite, land unfortunately four
colonial houses in his part of town
were each called the Bungalow
You see, the local dealer in note pa
per agreed several years ago to get
up a special brand headed the
Bungalow, with the number and
street added to suit the purchaser, if
he were sure of having at least a
dozen customers who would order
it. Owing to death and fire the num-
Der of bungalows had been reduced
to II when Billings began to build,
and the paper dealer was complain
ing. When the rumor went the
rounds of the bowling clubs and
whist clubs that Billings had reject
ed the name bungalow, there was a
commotion, can tell you. AS l had
vouched for Billings 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 a snob. I defended him
as best I could, but it was no use. "
! Poor Billingsi'' said Brown.
! "That was not his only offense,"
continued 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 a caterer from New York,
and his house was we'll decorated.
Poor Billings Some one should have |
coached him. One of the first guests
to arrive was a woman who has three
who are popular. Conse-
quently she is something of a social |
power. She admired Billings par
lors, his dining room and his billiard |
room and then said:
Now, Mr.. Billings, as near
and a friend I am going |
to ask you favor. think the key |
note of every mans house is his
den. It indicates his tastes and fads, |
you know, and I am going to ask
you to show me your den.'
"'But haven't got any den, said
Billings.
Now, Mr.. Billings, she persist
ed, that is hardly fair am so anx
ious to see itI'
Really there is no such place
in my house, he said I suspect
that you mean one of those stuffy
little cubby holes usually filled up
with lot Of trash until you can't
move and cherished as the exclusive
retiring place of the master of the
house. I called to see my plumber
while the house was building, and
he took me up to see his den, as he
called it. The place was we'll named.
You certainly didn't think that l
would have den in my house9'
Every house in the neighbor-
hood has a den,' she answered
sharply, and some of them are
quite as nice houses as yours, Mr..
Billings
Before the evening was ended
several other women asked Mr.. Bill
ngs where his den was, and when
t became knownNthat to add to his
offensive rejectionNof the Bungalow
he had neglected to fit up den his
loom was sealed. Billings says that
be paid for the house and he can do
Is he chooses with it, but surely he
.