The Bismarck tribune., 1919-04-11
BISMARCK DAILY TRIBUNE

| she was little dubious about the tea.
Not that she didn't like tea, but
| "Iou needn't fear my brew he as
surcd her. "Tea's tipple thorough
! ly understand"
Five minutes later, with contented
sigh more elaquent than words, she ac
knowledged the justive of this boast.
She had kind words, too, for the sand
| wich.
He deprecated her praise while Wis,
IDLY basking in it. but admitted that
| there was considerable degree Of art
involved in the proper frying Of all egg
Her eyes widened little as she
said, half under her breath. Il wonder
II / could fry one at all. =
"Well, there's great folly. he said
"in knowing too many things. Take
! myself, for example. I'm bit of Il
! cook, carpenter, ladies' maid, farrier,
plumber and gas-fitter and infants
| nurse, to mention few accomplish
ments that come to mnd-und here
I am!
How in the world-?'' she gasped
Fourteen years in the army, ma am
That's the explanation. Too good an
officers striker ever to be anything
| else"
She didn't know quite what to say to
this, since in spite of the humorous
melancholy, Of his voice, coincidence
seemed not to be asked for. So she
, munched her fried elsg sandwich in
silence for a minute or two, and finally
remarked: 4
You didn't say you're real-estate
agent, though, and that's what need.
I'm looking for place out here--a
flat, suppose, where two people with
hardly any money at all can live"
"Well." he said. there are plenty Of
places out here where people with hard
~ any money at all do live. and more
better table to help you if | knew just
how much money you meant by hardly
any at all.
II mean twenty-five dollars and fifty
i cents week." she said with such uneX-
pected promptness and precision, and
with a tinge of defiance thrown ill.,
that she made him smile. l
"Well, there's nothing easier than
| that" he told her. II know of fine
| little place just around the corner that
you could get for twelve dollars a
month. They could live there as snug
ly as you please. Three rooms and bath,
and one Of them a fine large one
Twelve dollars a month";" she echo
ed "And I've been looking at places
| all day about twenty, and they were
horriblew
He shot keen look at her. "Well,
l wouldn't say" he admitted, that it's
a place you'd be carin' to live in your
self. And it's possible, too. since it's
been on my hands three, months-evcr
since my brother-in-law's second wife
married again and moved away to
Kansas City, that I exaggerate the
good points of it. But you might find
it worth a look, and if you don't mind
waiting till my daughter comes back
from school, which will be any minute
now. to look after this. place I'll take
you up there and show you around
In the five minutes or so that inter
vened late that night between the time
when Celia got into bed and the time
when she fell asleep the conviction es.
tablished itself in her mind that, if
Mr.. Lawrence Doyle had not actually
hypnotized her, it had at least been
the glamour Of his personal charms
and not the desirability of the twelve
dollar apartment he had shown her
round that had led her to take it not
only promptly but with enthusiasm.
1t did indeed comprise. as he had
said. three rooms and a bath Though
the bath" required qualifying foot.
note). and it was also true that the
largest of the three rooms was, in
actual feet and inches, commodious
and pleasantly proportioned. Even for
the combined functions of eating and
Giving" it would be. ample. >,
| What shook Celia's confidence in her
judgement was the recollection Of her
\ enthusiasm over the absence of the
steam heat and the presence instead
of "base-burner" which Doyle would
be glad of a chance to sell her for six
dollars and seventy-five cents There
was nothing like good old fashioned
coal fire for comfort. This steam heat
now; always too much or not enough,
and nothing to do about it but pound
the radiator with poker. A good coal
stove you ran to suit yOursef-or
rather 1t ran itself to suit youu. Also
she was able to recall sensation of
genuine delight aver a gas-pipe in the
kitchen, which would not only reduce
culinary labOrs to next to nothing. by
making it possible to cook with gas,
but, for trifling additional invest
ment i'll IL small boiler and heater one
could have hot water whenever one
wanted it, day or night. Celia, who
had all her life taken hot water for
granted, exactly as she had taken air
to breathe. was quite thrilled over this.
She had taken an illexplicable plea
sure too. III the fact that their bed
room--it was really nothing but an al
cove off the big room. capable of being
shut off by curtains. and just about
big enough to contain double bed
was up two steepish steps from the
main flOOr-levelAa concession to the
necessity for getting the stairs up from
the entry below Most unreasonable
of all was her delight In the obvious
fact that the bathroom had clearly not
been designed bys the architect to serve
that purpose. 1t had three doors, to
begin with, all glazed: one into the
| big room, one into the kitchen and one
which let you out on the back porch
quite an extensive back porch, formed
bv flooring over and railing in one
story extention at the back of the build
| ing The door into the kitchen had