The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-15
Ioxs of Life in 4 Flat.

Mary wrote to Madelaine: OF course,
darling, we live in a fiat and are dread
fully crowded but / think we can maze
vo,, comfortable" NIadelane came on for
the visit Just the same and she declared
it was all such fun and so easy
.You see. dear her hostess explained.
You can have this closet in the parlor
to keep your clothes in. 1t IS only d
step from the bedroom, where You can
change your dress any time in the day,
and it will be real handy other times.
when YOU are sleeping on the couch mere
in the parlor. It's really the most COM
Portable bed in the house. In the morn
ing YOU can dress in the parlor-that cur
tain draws perfectly tighter if you do
not get up Till after Billy has gone you
can come in my room and dress
Maaelaine said it was too perfect for
ANYTHING. and SO it was. Everything
went beautifully. Madelaine used 10 wait
till Billy got ont to business, then she
and Maud would dress all over the fiat,
or have late breakfast in their kimo-
mas in the dining-room At the back of
the suite. Maud said that was one thing
So nice about the suite. the dining-roonl
was away off by itself, instead of being
right next TO the front door. Ike the
parlor. 1t was one of these late klmona
breakfast mornings. when the bell rang
with sudden sharpness.
'ANhat time Is II. SHIieheu Aidueidiiie.
II proved to be l o'clock.
! nee" she walled "Oh. Mary, so slow
this last TO the maid on her way to open
the door, I've got to, dress.
She disappeared in one door Of the bed
room. How was the maid to know that
i she shot out the other door which led
into the parlor? You see. she mad to get
her dress, but the maid didn't know that,
either She opened the front door, told
the Young man that Miss Bristol was
q. home. showed him into the parlor,
and said she would tell Miss Bristol But
! she couldn't find Miss Bristol Neither
could Maud. They called her softly.
| They looked under the bed, in the bed
room and down the shaft. They looked
in the bath-tub and refrigerator, they
went across the hall to the suite there
| no Madelaine anywhere Meanwhile there
| was the matinee man waiting.
| After half-hour hunt. when they
could hear the man shutting his feet
with i,npatence. Maud got her things on
and went in, She made UP a lovely sto-
| ny. She said that Madelaine had been
| called away on most important business;
| that she had fully expected to be back
by o'clock, and that was why her alb
sence had not been mentioned before.
/ Il feel sure that something has hap
| pcned 10 delay her quoth Maud; "she
will feel dreadfully. / know
The young man. after some hawking
! hemminS and sfuffiing, departed Maud
! did think OF asking him to leave the
1 tickets in case her friend might come
hack, but she didn't dare. When the
| front door closed on him there arose a
| warwhoop in the parlor. and out of the
1 parlor closet burst Maaelaine.
..Oh! If you had only not said all that
she walled You see, had put my dress
on. and was going to come out and pre-
! tend 1t was all right. Just then you got
/ off that awful fib. and had to stay there
! after ALL
/! She does not think fiat life is SO cute"
/ now.-Clara Belle. in Cincinnati Enquirer