The House | Page 9

I 've been
thinking about it all the morning, and I don't see how you 're going to
get along without a closet in that little east room up-stairs."
"But," said Alice, "there seems to be no way of putting a closet into that
room."
"Well, I think I 've hit on a plan," said Adah, and she produced a Mme.
Demorest pattern of a sleeve, upon which, with infinite pains, she had
traced certain lines with the wreck of a pencil which little Josephine
had tried to sharpen with the scissors.
"Yes, I see," said Alice, amiably; "but that would cut in upon the hall."
"Well, Maria had to do the same thing when she made her house over,"
said Adah, "and you 've no idea how nice it is."
"I don't care what Maria did," said Alice, bridling up. "This is my house,
and I 'm not going to spoil a good hall by building any skimpy little
closets! That room will do for Erasmus, and he does n't need any closet.
So that is settled, once and forever!"

I heard all this, myself, from the next room. I did not interfere at all, for
I make it a rule never to interpose in other people's disagreements. I
will admit, however, that it rather wounded me to hear Alice call it "my
house" instead of our house.

IV
THE FIRST PAYMENT
As for Mr. Denslow, he agreed with other friends and neighbors that in
our new old house we had secured a genuine bargain. But, as I have
already indicated, Mr. Denslow was no day-dreamer; he had a way of
viewing things that was severe in its practicality.
Now, I am in no sense a business man; you may already have suspected
this truth. I am very far from being a fool, as those who have read my
numerous treatises (particularly my "Essay to Prove the Probability of
the Existence of an Atmosphere on the Other Side of the Moon") will
testify; but, having had little to do with the operations and methods of
trade and commerce, I am not (I admit it freely) an expert in what in
this great, bustling city of Chicago are termed affairs of the world.
Mr. Denslow, upon the other hand, is keenly in touch with these affairs;
brought hourly during the day into contact and competition with
scheming--and not always scrupulous--men, he has acquired an
extensive knowledge of human nature of the rapacious type, and this
knowledge has made him wary, alert, prudent, and reserved. It is
perhaps this wide difference in our natures and our pursuits that has
attracted Mr. Denslow and me to each other; at any rate our friendship
has been profitable to both. Mr. Denslow's counsel upon several
important occasions has been of vast value to me, and I flatter myself
that upon one occasion at least I served Mr. Denslow to excellent
purpose. This was two years ago, when, as perhaps you remember, my
sun-spot theory was widely discussed by the newspaper press. I then
told Mr. Denslow that the recurrence of the sun spots would surely
induce a drought upon this planet, thereby causing a shortage in the

crops; whereupon Mr. Denslow "cornered the wheat market" (as the
saying is) and realized a handsome sum of money.
Alice has long recognized Mr. Denslow's merits as a man of business;
she, too, has what, in lieu of a better term, our New England people call
faculty. So it was natural that after having drunk deep (so to speak) at
the fountain of Mrs. Denslow's enthusiasm, we should turn for serious
advice and practical counsel to Mr. Denslow.
"This opportunity," said Mr. Denslow, "is one that comes only once in
a lifetime. You must not let it escape you. We should go at once to Mrs.
Schmittheimer and get her to sign an agreement to part with the
property upon the terms specified. In order to bind the agreement we
should pay her a small sum of money--oh, say one hundred dollars. The
receipt, in the form of an agreement or contract signed by her, will bind
the bargain in the contemplation of the law."
"But it is after dark already," said Alice. "Wouldn't it seem rather
burglarious to make a descent upon the old lady at this hour?"
"And what is more to the point," said I, "the detail (trifling as it may
appear) of planking down one hundred dollars is one which I happen
just at this moment to be unprepared to provide for."
"The matter should be closed at once," said Mr. Denslow. "In a deal of
this kind delay is too often disastrous. As for the one hundred dollars, I
will lend you that amount, for a small cash payment is really necessary
to