The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26

lect the home for the family. She goes first
to the rental agent and obtains a list of
available dwellings and then returns home
to write down on paper the addresses of the
houses that are most likely to suit her,
judging by the location, the number of
rooms and the prices asked. Then she in
veigles at least four of her dearest feminine
friends into accompanying her on her
rounds, and out they all start. You will
see parties of this kind on the streets of
Indianapolis every pleasant afternoon at
this time o. year. She-the mad moon
woman-hasn't the key of a single vacant
house. for this first trip is just a prelimi-
nary one. The first house on the list is
reached. 1t is described by the rental agent
as ''such and such a number on what-d'ye-
call-it street; six rooms, modern improve
ments, twenty dollars" Now, this woman's
house than they could get into a pumpkin
shell, unless half the children should sleep
in the woodshed. But the price asked by
the landlord-ah! that was good that was
just exactly what she wanted to pay, and
so she had come to have a look at the place.
And then. come to think of it, the location
was just about right. After performing the
peeking and peering rites-she looks in at
one window while her friends seek separate
points of vantage-she arrives at the con-
clusion that the house could be made to an
swer the purpose. A folding bed could be
placed in the tiny parlor, you know, and
the twins, at pinch, could sleep in the lit
tie cubby hole of an attic. Yes. decidedly,
that little cottage is just the thing; she
will tell John how everything can be ar
ranged and how they can save money into
the bargain-enough to take a trip up to
Lake Maxinkuckee and allow little Charlie
baseball money.
GO INTO RAPTURES.
And then-for such is the nature of the
people of the mad moon'-the enthusiast
tic house hunter and her companions (who,
by the way, are fast falling prey to the
fever and are turning over in their own
minds the advisability OF seeking new
homes themselves), are going into raptures
twenty minutes later over a huge structure
of fourteen rooms in a most desirable
neighborhood" The only fault to be found
with it is that the rent will amount to
just twice as much money monthly as that
asked for the cottage. This Objectionable
tors from peeping in at every window and
thoroughly Investigating everything about
the place that can possibly be investigated.
BY the time the house and grounds have
been systematically reviewed the leader of
the party has forgotten all about the "dear
little six-room dwelling and is mentally
calculating how, with the promised In
crease in Johns salary and the cutting off
of several unnecessary luxuries Goodbye
to Lake Maxinkuckee and alas for Charlie
and that regular seat on the bleachers),
she might manage to take this most de-
sirable dwelling in this most desirable
neighborhood."
One of her friends suggests that by CIV
ing up two Of the rooms to mice, quiet
dodgers" the rent would be greatly reduced.
80 1t could" she says, joyfully, though
in her heart she knows we'll enough that her
husband would never agree to such an ar
rangement. And so the day passes. Every
house might be made to do. but somehow
or other there always seems to be an i'm
pediment. and when at last the searching
party reaches home, completely worn out.
each woman feels that the day has been
wasted. At least this is only too often the
case with the houseseekers.
In this city there is a tremendous de-
mand for small homes, the rental agents
say or cottages that have no second story.
One seldom sees this sort of dwelling va
cant. Indianapolis people have become so
accustomed to large yards. which have I'M
til recently surrounded most of the resi-
dences, that many of the houseseekers can
not bring themselves to gracefully accept
the new condition of things. and this adds to
the troubles of the agents and landlords
during these days of the mad MOON