Arizona republican., 1899-07-03
TWO FLATS AND
 AN ACCIDENTAL

about came from me, I believe.
 Suggestions of any sort usuall!
 came from me rather than Margery
 for l have in my veins the adventur
 ous blood of stanch New England an
 cestry, who had burnsd witches anC fought Indians and later pursued re
 1entless traffic in wooden nutmegs witl
 the same high courage and fine disre
 gard of consequences.
 While Margery is of Dutch descsn'
 and tnclined to be. cautious, if not :
 bit pig-headed, as I often told her.
 But no one could help loving her, II
 spite of her little touch of Dutch obsu-
 macy, least of all myself, for Of all the provoking little women that were evel
 created for the express purpose ol charming and bormenting their fellow men Margery was the most deIc-ously dear. and I loved her so well I could forgive her anything. That is, any thing but the way she treated Jack Beasley.
 The dance she led that poor fellow was something to move even beard ed Turk to pity. For whole year she had kept him dangling after her as abiectly as a dancing doll at the end of a string, and yet, as far as we could see. he had made no progress what ever in her wayward affections.
 We had been talking things over, Jack. Ned and I, in Margery's absence q never dared mention Jack to Mar gerry for fear of still further exciting that famous obstinacy of hers), and even Ned, the most hopeful of mortals, had had to admit Jacks chances looked blue. Ned, be it known, was the daring youth who had undertaken to guide my New England enterprise and other vintues (too numerous to men.ton) through life's pilgrimage.
 He and Jack were partners in law office and occupied the fiat on the top floor. where they called light dkBrbin floor, where they indulged in certain mysterious rites they called light housekeeping, while Margery and taught music and Delsarte and prac- ticed the modest virtues of hospitality in the flat below.
 Nothing, therefore. could have been more fit, suitable and otherwise to be desired than to haveI Margery and Jack fall in love with each other, even as Ned and had done Jack was willing enough, poor boy, but Margery baked. It was too provoking.
 As I said before. we three had been talking it over the day before while Margery was absent teaching the luck less children of a rich soap manufac- turer to play Wagner on the piano, and had all agreed that the situation looked hopeless.
 Jack had been in the depths of de- spair because the tenor of the choir for which Margery played the organ had called three times that week, and, though didn't believe she cared a iGn for the tenor, I had never known naughty Margery to appear more will fully regardless of Jacks feelings.
 We had parted. therefore, gloom;Iy enough, after a fruitless conference, and I had relieved my mind by being cross to Margery all day, though I must own she didn't seem to mind much.
 It was an awful day. raining cats and dogs, and in the afternoon I got tired of being cross all by myself and that we should shampoo our hair and dry it on the parlor radiator, the only one in the flat large enough for the purpose. Of course, Margery objected. Visitors might come, she said, and then who would let them in? secuted the idea of visitors on such l day, unless, I observed with sarcasm, 'uS was eApOClluS lLO l0IIOI dSdln.
 Sha didn't notice this stab, so 1 pro eeeded to say that as the radiator was n the corner we could pull our big Japanese screen up in front of it, and, secure in our hiding place, yet our en- ire visiting acquaintance, including messenger boys and duns, knock at he door till they got tired, and then lepart, blissfully unaware of our proX- mEty.
 Accordingly it wasn't long before we were snugly ensconced on a pile of ofa pillows on the parlor floor, in our bath robes and with 'ur wet locks streaming out behind us Icross the radiator, over which we had .tretched a steamer rug. We were Lrmed with a novel apiece, but soon got to talking girl fashion, and were Ieep in discussion of Amos Judd, 1 when there came loud knock at the 1 .oor.
 Great Scotti'' I exclaimed in a | tage whisper the rosy advantages of | ny plan suddenly fading in the cold | .ght of reality.
 There, I told you sol" cried Mar | cry ungenerously, sitting up abrupIy | o that her hair fell all about her in a | reat, shining coppery shower.
 'Sh-shut upi" I whispered, reach ng out with an agitated stockinged De for the bedroom slipper I had care sssly kicked off a moment before.
 Again the knock came, this time lore imperative.
 What in heavens name shall we %" gasped Margery.
 Keep still, you chump." l said, otto voce, too nervous to pick my -ords.
 Then the door handle turned and we card Ned's voice saying: 'HThsre's obody home cts come in and wait or them"
 "Al right" was the reply in Jacks ass tones. Maybe fJs not the prop r thing, but we might as well risk it, ld We heard the door closa as our Yis-