Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-26
NOTIFYING

Irom Blk months stay In New York.
caused me to feel very much truly rural
and syivan-dellish and things: indeed. It
did.
my husband. you remember, was sent
over to New York half year ago by his
department. went along with him. A
couple Of days after our arrival set out
alone from the hotel to find a boarding
house. The huge lists of boarding houses
In the New York papers only confused
me. and SO did not take any selections
from them along with me. I determined to
rely upon the Rooms to Let signs in the
windows OF houses that looked nice and
clean to me from the outside. I didn't
know New York very well. but I was
at least aware Of the fact that the
farther uptown you go the better and more
boarding house line. So boarded one of
the 9th avenue stages, and when it reach
ed 54th street debarked and began to look
around for Rooms to Let signs. The
street looked pretty fine, and l thought
that II could get a room on 54th street
near 9th avenue 1 should like 1t real well.
1 walked IN a westerly direction. and in the
middle OF the block saw a placard bear
ing the single letter r. sticking in one of
the basement windows of very fine house
"a house with remarkably rich ex-
terror.
That "R" doubtless means Rooms
Sdlu u myself, ana SO-nOt WITHOUT a DIT
of apprehension that the prices for rooms
In that house might be bit too high for
us-I walked up the steps and touched the
electric button. A tremendous lackey
about six and half feet high and deadly
solemn opened the door for me.
Pretty fashionable boarding house
thought: I don't believe we will be able
to afford this
overawed me, but 1 finally mustered up
enough nerve to say to him that I should
like to see the lady Of the house. The
lackey gravely inclined his head. and
ushered me into magnificent reception
room.
"'What name shall HI give?' he inquired.
"'Oh, it's immaterial.' I replied. I am
merely calling to see the rooms
THE lackey shot me a queer, puzzled
look.
"Hi shall see If she is him. he said,
and departed, leaving me In the vast, ex-
traordinarily beautiful reception ROOM OF
sumptuous room that there'd be no posi-
bility Of our being able to live in so splen-
did a boarding house, but as long as
was in I felt that couldn't back out and
say that I had made a mistake without
exciting suspicion, and so l waited for the
appearance of the lady Of the house
''She swept In presently-a fine. stout,
handsome white-haired woman of hfty-five
or so, in a morning wrapper that seemed
to be all lace. She received me very sweet
ly-her manners were delightful-and start
ed to say, smilingly, I fear l have not the
advantage when. feeling very confused.
1 interrupted her by saying that l had
merely called to look at her apartments.
She regarded me somewhat puzzledly for
an instant when 1 said this, and then she
gave a courteous inclination of the head
and said:
"'I shall be delighted to show them to
YOU
II followed her through the house. The
rooms were simply too scrumptious for
Such taDpStrieS. such cabinets.
such pictures, such costly elegance was
virtually dumb. and 1 fear that during the
inspection my conductress thought L was
some poor demented creature, perhaps es-
caped from some institution. l have seen
the interiors of many splendid homes, but
none could compare with this one for sub
dued splendor.
'Er-um-I fear that the rooms are
far beyond our means 1 stammered when,
the inspection over. l stood again In the
reception room with the charming woman
Il have not inquired as to your terms pc
cause of this feeling. 1-er7 and then
I felt that was of about the color of
new brick house. and collapsed utterly.
The fine woman smiled wonderingly at
Terms? Means? she said, regarding
me steadily and smiling in her puzzled
way. Pardon my seeming dulness. but
fear that quite fail to apprehend the
ooh knew then that something had to
be done. had what my husband calls
.hunch that had made a ridiculous mis-
take.
ct was looking for rooms. you know.
for my husband and myself. l contrived
to stammer
she continued to gaze at me in that
mystified sort of way for half moment.
and then she laughed gayly and sweetly.
There was nothing cutting or sarcastic
in her laugh-she was too high grade. too
much Of a thoroughbred, to care to hu-
initiate me.
"T fear. my dear she said, coming
70 bar ba
shoulder, in very lovable. womanly
way, that you have been misinformed.
This is private residence
Il was almost in tears, but just man
aged to calculate:
"'But the sign in the basement WIN
dow.
THE sign In the basement window, my
DEAR? said she, fixing my neck dress in
motherly way that just made me feel like
throwing my arms around her and hug
ging her. Is there a sign, then? And
does the sign signify that there are
rooms to be had here? 1t is, of course,
some extraordinary error
Then she paused suddenly, laughed
again in a perfectly inoffensive way and
went on:
How did the sign read my dear?'
Its just a great big "R"r said I,
dabbing at my eyes with q handkerchief
like foolish young one.
well, she sat down in a deep chair then
and threw her fine head back and laughed
SO heartily and SO unrestrainedly that
couldn't help but join with her and laugh,
too. 1t was some time before she was able
to restrain her mirth long enough to say:
The 'sR" card in the window. my dear
now please don't feel badly when I tell you,
and do forgive me for the rudeness of
laughing-the "R" card in the window is
the householder's method here of indicating
to the passing wagons of the street cleaning
department that there is refuse in the rear
of the house to be removed-the "R" for
refuse, do you not see?' And then she
leaned back in the deep chair and laughed
again.
Maybe 1 didn't feel like those pictures of
Mandy and Cynthy in the funny picture pa
perS. I made the best apology l could I'M
der the circumstances. and was patted and
comforted and treated most kindly by the
high-bred mistress of the establishment,
and took my departure, in a sort of
daze, from which l didn't emerge until 1
reached the hotel l had forgot all about
my quest for boarding house, l was in
such trance. / was stupid enough to tell
my husband about the incident. and 1
thought he would surely have Mysteries, the
way he rolled around on the couch of our
hotel room. l don't suppose l shall ever
hear the last of ii rom him. He wakes up
in the middle of the night, yet, chortling
over it. / afterward discovered that the
fine hammered woman to whom l had ap-
piled for rooms is one of the great women
of New York society, whose comings and
goings are recorded with little less detail
TO, Nrc Acfn