Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-03-02
MR.. PLINEY'S FLATS.


room wainscotcd with weathered oak,
gas range, refrigerator and built-in
sidebUard. II was one OF those build
ings designed for the UNDERGOING OF
the middle class on a macadamized
street by speculative contractor,
who as he expressed It, built for a
quick turn If the right party happened
along"
The right party happened along
about a month after the Veneer was
filed with tenants, for each Of them
received a notice announcing a change
in ownership. 1t was signed "Phinney
L. Pliney, owner"
The first Of the next month came,
but no owner appeared for the rent
The first of the following month ar
rived and still no owner Then It was
that the ianltor knocked on Marble
byB kitchen door.
Whats TO be done Mr.. Marblcby?
he asked. Here | am with only a
hud or two OF coal for the water
heater. The gas company has sent
around twice for its money. l haven't
seen this man Pliney. / went down to
the old agents and they say they don't
know him. They say he came there,
paid cash for the building and took
the papers away What's to be done?"
The next day MARKEDLY called on
the real estate agent OF whom he had
rented his apartment. The man OF
leases confirmed what the janitor had
said and jollingly added: You'd bet
ter call a mass-meeting Of the tenants
and pass a few resolutions"
MARKEDLY took him seriously and
that evening sent the janltor around
to ask the renters to meet him in the
laundry. When the tenants with their
wives and children had gathered in
the basement MARKEDLY mounted
soap box and said: I'VE ought to be
tho happicst people in Chicago, for
apparently we have no one to take our
rent money. This Phinney p. Pliney,
owner Of the Building, hasn't found us
yet. Tho janitOr and have made dill
gent search and We can't find him. It's
up to us tC run this institution our
selves until some one comes along
who has the legal right to act as the
party Of the first part In our leases"
Suggestions, inquiries, recommen-
dations and motions came fast Out
of the talk came an agreement, signed
By the lcssees that until the appear
ance Of the rightrul owner or his
agent MARKEDLY should act as superin-
tcndent, collect The rent, pay the bills,
buy the coal and generally run the
building
The following day MARKEDLY opened
an account in his bank in the name Of
the veneer Renters association, NJ.
NJ MARKEDLY agent Within a few
days his balance showed the aggregated
rental Of the lG flats for two months.
lie laid in the winters supply of coal
for the steam plant, made necessary
repairs, built fence around the back
yard and did all those things which
the agent had promised would be
done when the leases were signed.
Several times he advertised for the
owner, but the winter passed and
spring opened without any news from
phinncy =. Pliney
Finally MARKEDLY CHANGED to read
the following personal" in his news.
paper:
WANTED INFORMATION IN RE
gard to Phinuoy Z. pIiUcy, Of Exeter, n,
p ]. Was i'm Chicago about lG months ago.
Liberal reward viii lie paid for any impor-
tart Information concerning him"
The advertiser was a lawyer of Chi
cage, and to him MARKEDLY wrote, re.
questing him to call at the second fiat,
south, in the Veneer building.
The lawyer came and to him Mar
belby told the story of the Veneer
Renters association.
Mr.. Pliney is dead" said the law
yer. He died suddenly in a western
town soon after he purchased this
| building, suppose. l am retained by
| his heir to find out what became Of
the money he drew from the bank in
Exeter. The paid draft showed he
had cashed it in Chicago. That is as
far as | had got when you wrote me-
! OF course you must make an account
ing TO me. | must have a bOokkeeper
! go over your books"
Il have nothing to conceal" said
MARKEDLY, stifiy.
Two weeks later when he walked
into his parlor one evening he saw
| the lawyer and young woman.
This is the owner of this building,
! Miss Pliney, niece of the former own
eT," said the lawyer.
But MARKEDLY had no ears for the
attorneys words. All he saw was the
bright eyes, the sweet face the brown
hair and smiling lips of the young
woman, who advanced with her hand
! OutstTetched.
To this day MARKEDLY cannot intel
ligently explain how he gave in mi.
nutest detail the history of his volun-
teer trusteeship; exhibited his books,
displayed his vouchers and showed his
rent roll. All he can recall distinctly
of that evening was the young wom-
ans steadfast refusal to have MarbeI-
! by's accounts properly audited by an
expert.
Il feel certain" she said to the in.
| sistent attorney, that Mr.. MARKEDLY
did what was right and that he man
aged this building solely in the inter
| est Of my uncle"
Perhaps it was somewhat unconven-
tional, but Miss Pliney seemed much
! pleased when Marbelby's mother in.
vited her to make the MARKEDLY fiat
her home while she was settling up
this matter" There was nothing un-
conventional, however about the we'd
ding that followed except the recep-