Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-05-06

At this the green car wheeled alb.
ruptly round corner below Thirty
fourth street, slid half block or more
east, and came to q palpitating halt.
Maitland, looking up, recognized the
entrance to his apartments, and sighed
with relief for the brief respite from
boredom that was to be his. He rose,
negligently shaking off his buster,
and stepped down to the sidewalk.
Somebody in the car called
warning after him, and turning for a
moment he stood at attention. an eye
brow raised quizzically, cigarette
dropping from a corner of his mouth,
hat pushed back from his forehead,
hands in coat pockets; a tall, slender,
sparsely built figure of man, clothed
Immediately in fiannels.
When at length he was able to make
himself heard: Good enough" he said
clearly, though without raising his
voice. "Sherrys in an hour. Right
Now, behave yourselves"
Mind you show up on time!"
Never fear" returned Maitland over
his shoulder.
A witticism was flung back at him
from the retreating car, but spent
itself unregarded. Maitland's atten,
ton was temporarily distracted by the
unusual-to say the least-sight OF a
young and attractive woman coming
out of home for confirmed bachelors.
Tbn onortroapt hn,,oa bonnonod a.
be his own property. A substantial
and old.fashioned edifice, situated in
the middle of quiet block, it con-
tanned but five roomy and comfortable
suites-in other words, one to floor;
and these were without exception ten
anted by unmarried men of Matt
lands own circle and acquaintance.
The janitor, himself widower and
convinced msogynist, lived alone in
the basement. Barring very special
and exceptional occasions (as when
one of the bachelors felt called upon
to give tea in partial recognition of
social obligations), the foot of woman
never crossed its threshold.
In this circumstance, indeed, was
comprised the singular charm the
house had for its occupants. The
quality which insured them privacy
and a quiet independence rendered
them oblivious to its many minor
drawbacks, its lack of many conven
fences and luxuries which have of late
grown to be so commonly regarded as
necessities. 1t boosted, for instance,
no garage; no refrigerating system
maddened those dependent upon It:
dissipated electric lighting system
never went out of nights, because IL
had never been installed; no brass
bound hall boy lounged in desuetude
upon the stoop and took too intimate
and personal an interest in the ten
ants correspondence. The inhabi-
tants, In brief, were free to come and
go according to the dictates of their
consciences, unsupervised by neigh
borly women folk, unhindered by a
parasitic corps of menials not in their
personal employ.
Wherefore was Maitland astonished,
and the more so because of the season.
At any other season OF the year he
would readily have accounted for the
phenomenon that now fell under his
observation. on the hypothesis that the
woman was somebody's sister or cous.
in or aunt. But at present that expla.
nation was untenable; Maitland hap
pened to know that not one OF the 9TH
er men was In New York. barring
himself; and his own presence there
was thing entirely unforeseen.
Still incredulous, he mentally conned