The Argosy, June 1904

About this issue

This issue of The Argosy contains a complete short story titled "To Rent—Furnished," in which Mr. and Mrs. Wonderman lease what they believe to be a distinguished gentleman's house while he travels abroad in Europe. The landlord's mysterious uncle occupies an attic room with a broken sewing machine. When the Wondermans host a dinner party, the real owner, the irascible Mr. Merridew, unexpectedly arrives and is mistaken for an escaped lunatic—police are called, he's subdued and handcuffed. After his identity is established through a neighbor, the truth emerges: the man who rented them the house is an imposter and con artist named Jernyngham, wanted by police. Mr. Merridew, despite his violent initial response, proves magnanimous and invites the young couple to stay as his guests. A brief coda shows Jernyngham reading about the scandal from a Florida hotel, deciding to lie low. The issue also includes a short poem, "A Rainy Day."