The Argosy — page 167: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

What Our Advertisement Brought. 153 thinking what a very low charge eleven shillings was for that adver- tisement. “This young fnend has been living with me for some time,” con- tinued the elderly gentleman, ‘‘ and I am anxious that in another home he should not miss any of the luxuries—I hope I may say luxunes—to which he has been accustomed. I wish him to meet with a home superior to those generally offered to young men by advertisements. Yours appeared to me to be just such a one.” Here he smiled at me. IY suppose he had said the same and smiled the same at Deborah before. . ‘“‘ Now, may J ask,” he continued, pleasantly, “if you make an extra—a—matter of the—say the linen and plate?” Here was a glorious opening for Deborah. She told the elderly gentleman a chapter or two of our family history, and the reason of our taking this house, dotting the information with hints of the great value of our plate and linen; indeed, she almost went so far as to supply him with an inventory of them. And the elderly gentleman looked a little bit bored as he listened. “ T should like to show you the plate,” concluded Deborah, waxing more and more chatty. At first he seemed to think it would be troubling her very unneces- sarily ; but, perhaps, he fancied she would be hurt by his refusal, for he came round laughingly to express a wish to see our treasures. Deborah took him to the plate closet, while I hovered in the background, look- ing on and listening, while he admired everything to our hearts’ content. After this we went upstairs, in a procession of three, to inspect the drawing-room. The elderly gentleman, still caressing his hat and stick, said there was no doubt about ¢haf being a pleasant and hand- some room ; and, of course, we entirely agreed with him. “‘And this is the bedroom, is it?” he questioned, airy, as he moved into the back room. His question drew Deborah in after him, but I lingered at the door. This was not a drawing-room, you see. “Nice room,” he said, heartily, as he sauntered up to the window. I began to tremble when he reached it, for the view from this back window was not attractive. Just below ran the roof of the sculleries > beyond that a long strip of garden, ending in a wooden pailing, and then the backs of other houses; and on the left a wide, bleak brick- field. ‘“‘A very fair, open look-out,” remarked the elderly gentleman; and the beating of my heart grew regular again. ‘‘I am sure my young friend would be hard to please if he were not satisfied with this,” he continued, smiling graciously. ‘‘ Let me consider: Is there any other question I ought to ask? Have you any—any other gentleman residing with you?” Deborah rather haughtily refuted the idea. ‘“‘ There 1tsa0 tH OGre! aa. co '