Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-01-15
A CRAFTY WIDOW.
HOW SHE GOT THE BEST OF A
REAL ESTATE MAN.

ANoA ~ la AO INV -
that he has attained a higher position
the spirit has moved him to relate how
once a woman got the best of him.
Il was sitting in my office one morn
ing he began, when Mrs. 3, q
wealthy widow, who occupied a rather
%pretentious apartment on the North
side, called on me. Her lease was
about to expire, and having become
used to the methods OF those who Wis
tied me to arrange matters for the
coming year, | awaited her probable
demands for innumerable and eXpen'
sive repairs with trepidation born OF
previous experience.
mi. r. she cooed. I want TO
stay in that apartment for at least two
years more
Very glad, I'm sure, answered
lingering all the while a letter from a
wealthy bachelor-the best klnd OF
tenant-applying for the same nat on
a five years lease. in case the present
tenant does not care to remain.
But she went on, I shall have to
have a lot of repairs This remark
was extremely unnecessary, for l knew
that the moment she swept into the Of
flee. But the building needed consider
able overhauling throughout, and
therefore confined my efforts to reduc
ing it to the smallest possible measure
of dollars and cents. | told her 70
make a list of repairs she wante1.
adding that | would look it over. grant
as many as possible. and have Der
lease ready within a week.
The next day. inclosed in a scented
note. | received her demands, tabu-
lated. and listing repairs for her apart
ment alone that would cost as much
as an eight-roOm cottage. | drew my
pencil through all that ! knew my
bachelor applicant would not ask for,
and awaited her coming, A day
or two later she came again. | hand
ed over a list of the repairs that | be-
lieved to be necessary and prepared
for the onslaught of indignant protest.
"'Oh. I'm SO glad you will paper that
front bedroom at least was her only
comment. Give me the lease, rlease.
and I'll sign it,
"A month later the repairs had been
finished. and l was filing out a vouch-
er to include in my report to the helrs
when | received a telephone message
from Mrs. B.. 4 want to sae you
right away she said over the wire.
With many forebodings | went out
there early in the afternoon.
When | arrived she led me directly
to the rear of the apartment, to a ut
tie room we call a maids bedroom.
Mr.. F., you must repaper this
room,' she demanded.
But, madam | deprecated, this
was not included in the repairs which
you asked for .t,
well. | don't see what difference
a few dollars makes to the Mcconnell
estate she pouted. h why, It's the
richest in the city
After a fruitless attempt to reason
with her | left, receiving this parting
threat:
Remember, Mr.. F., that room is
going to be papered, and the McCon-
nell estate is going TO pay it, too.
"A week later | received notice from
Mrs. B. that there was gas at
large in her fiat. sent up one OF my
clerks and he reported that his nose
could detect nothing of the sort. An
other week passed and | was again
notified that there was sewer gas IN
the house. This time | sent IN one
of the plumbers employed by the estate
to make a peppermint test the surest
method of detecting the presence OF
sewer gas. He reported the same as
the clerk. Another week and the same
complaint came in. Again the plumber
made his test without result.
Just at this time I heard that Mrs,
BIS daughter had been seized with
typhoid fever. The fates never worked
50 hard against me. But for a long
tine. perhaps five or six weeks, | heard
No more about sewer gas, except for d
health department notice, based on a
complaint made by Mrs. b 20 the
health authorities, which l ignored.
Then | heard from a firm of law
I NGIS. luNN ldh BVCh iCtoAhSN ~ "a =
B. they Informed me. to bring suit
for damages against the Mcconnell
estate. 30 recover for the injury
wrought to the constitution Of bel
daughter and her own pocketbook by
reason of said daughters serious III.
ness with typhoid fever, said illness
having been caused by the extremely
unsanitary condition of the apartment
They had the testimony of the phys. =
clan. the trained nurse and other Pc
sons, they informed me, and espresso
the hope that | might see fit to acce {
to a settlement that would cover the
Doctors bill. the nurses bill, and thojl
own fees, which would come in all iC
about $3.50, | reflected at that moment
that it would cost about Sc TO paper
that internal blue room and will
that thought in mind | hied to Mrs
BIS apartment.
"She received me pleasantly enough
and | came right Gown to business.
Mrs. b | said, you want tina
hI,a room nanered don't yOu?'