The Winslow mail., 1899-05-13
TO T---ROOMS
'OF COURSE we can do it. Why
BY Kenneth Eerrord.

Susan had made Up her mind and that
was the end of it.
"But," ventured, "the work. Think
CT the work"
That is why favor the plan. 1t will
Give me something to do when you are
away"
This with certain cutting tone, as
much as to say. "and you are away
most Of the time
Very we'll" l agreed. at shall be
as you say. Wen take the house and
you can rent the four rooms if you
want to-
And just think" she went on. 'WeW
get all the rent back. Then we will
get our shelter for nothing"
please don't call our home shelter.
i begged. Uhereat she offered: "Well,
what else is it? We are sure of food.
You make enough d week to get that
same weeks; and the shelter is all that
remains for nlc to think Of
Very we'll" said l, well move"
And we did.
Three Gays later after the carpets
had been cut over and mating had
Eeen bought for the hall bedroom up
stairs, we were srugly-or, 1T least
Lleasantly-housed al 231 Sunny street.
Hanging the pictures and learning
the ins and outs Of the gas furnace had
tired Susan, SO we agreed to put eff plac
ing the advertise enent in the paper un-
IL the following Sunday The Satur
lay night before. we walked down to
the Office ard gave the young man be-
lind the counter IS cents in exchange
fer slip saying that We had taken
about an eighth Of an inch Of space for
one Gcy-in the paper of the'following
r7orning.
Susan went about it all enthusiast
CT the Eewsboys the next morn
ing and into my pocket for
nickel to buy that paper. She
locked through it twice by the fain,
tight Of the north window before she
found the advertisement we had placed
the night before. and when She did she
appeared as pleased with herself, with
i, and with the world in general, as
child in the second grade with a new
slate.
but it's awfully little, don't you
thlIk, Reuben?" she asked.
| looked at the three lines. 1t did
lcok little, but | would not have dis
couraged Susan for the world ''Oh,
there'il some cne see it," l ventured.
But l want a great many to see it,"
she went Cn. Il want grea; many to
come so that we can select from them
I wouldn't have ordinary people in
the house for the world"
To tell the truth, | had no idea that
in the city Of Detroit there would be
very many people who would see those
three lines advertising the rComs we
lad to rent. but l held my opinion to
myself, only venturing to remark to
Susan, standing there by the window in
the half light: You'll see"
And she did. and that before the day
was out.
We were at breakfast. The chops
ere excellent. the rolls done 10 a turn,
and the coffee nearer like mothers than
any Susan ever before had made. The
doorbeh rang. Vow, who in the world
can that be?" exclaimed Susan, drop
ping her fork on the plate before her
with a clatter.
''It may be your brother" l sug-
gested.
"It isn't either" she disagreed
Whereat l suggested that one of the
best means OF learning who it vas
would be 70 answer the bell.
The lido; cpar1oG +n itca1f
upon Slsan's mind fayorably, for she
did as suggested.
| listened. a mouthful of chop posed
on the tip of my fork in mid air.
Yes" I heard Susan say to the per-
son at the door, I'VE have rooms to rent.
Do you desire to look at the furnished
ones or the unfurnished ones?"
I smiled. Apparently the person
wished the latter. for Susan took him
or her along the hall, to the door at the
end There was silence fer moment,
followed by q confusion Of voices, it
seemed to ne, and then the front door
closed and Susan came back into the
diningroom.
She sat down near the register, not
L
cup Of coffee.
What is it?" asked.
1T Was 4 man. was her reply.
That being q Bit unsatisfactory I con-
tirucd: What cid he want?"
:'Rooms." :,,.---
Didn't he like ours?"
'He Gid until l told him they were
hao tod With !,
started for the door. He said his wife's
cousin was asphyXiated by natural gas
once and that his wife wouldn't live in
house where it was used"
Did he say anything else?"
"Yes; he asked if this was boarding
house: ] wouldn't have had him any
way, he seemed so snappy and never
said one thing about the pretty shades
we put up in there"
"Well, there will be others" I said.
encouragingly. and poured second
sup of coffee for myself
And tnCre were. They began COM
ng steadily at nine o'clock and kept it
up all day. Susan didn't want to 90 to
church for fear that she would miss
some one. and she knew that 1 could
not answer the bell if it should ring
There was, first, woman with a
whitfield nose and crescent earrings.
She wanted the unfurnished rooms to
open palmistry parlor, and Susan
said she was not in the office-renting
business. The woman with the nose
and the crescents left the house IN a
huff, remarking, as she passed Susan
in the hall, that she wouldn't live uns
der the Snn1,a rnnf With ho,.