CHAPTER II--HOUSE HUNTING IN NEW YORK
Before the westerners awake to the new day, let us renew ouracquaintance with them.
Polly Brewster, of Pebbly Pit, born and reared on that wonderful ranchin Colorado where the lava-jewels were found, is for the first time inher fourteen years, away from home. As she is at the most impressionableage, her wise mother authorized Anne Stewart, the young teacher who hadspent the summer with the Brewsters and who was engaged to JohnBrewster, to spare no money when fitting Polly out for her life in NewYork. Mrs. Brewster wished Polly to feel herself the equal of anyone shemet, if it pertained to dress. And style was about the only thing thatPolly lacked, having all fine qualities in her character.
Eleanor Maynard, of Chicago, now Polly's dearest friend, never had tocount the cost of anything, as her father was the best known and richestbanker of that great city. But because of her ill health, being aprotegee of Anne Stewart for the past two years, this association hadtaught Eleanor to think twice before she wasted her allowance.
And Anne Stewart, just past twenty-one, was experienced for her age,because of her mother's dependence on her for most things, since thefather died many years before this story opens. And Paul, her youngerbrother now at college in Chicago (where the other boys also studied),was there because his sister earned the money with which to pay hisexpenses. Now that Anne would participate in the shares of the gold minethat had been discovered the day of the escape on Grizzly Slide, theStewarts had no need to practise such strict economy as hitherto.
In the morning Polly was awakened by a knock at her door. "Poll, someonewants to speak to you over the 'phone," said Anne.
"Me? Why, who can it be? I never talked into one of those funny littleblack horns in my life, Anne. Wait, and help me."
In another moment Polly, in a pretty negligee--one of the purchases ofthe previous afternoon--ran out of her room. Anne sat her upon a stoolbefore the small stand and showed her how to hold the instrument.
"Hello!" whispered Polly, half afraid that something would pop out ather.
Eleanor had crept out of her room by this time, and stood back of Polly,grinning at her friend's nervousness.
"Speak louder," admonished Anne in Polly's ear.
"Hello!" shouted Polly, trying to adjust her senses to the unfamiliarmethod of conversing with an unseen individual.
Then a merry laugh and a familiar voice sounded in her ear. Her faceexpressed amazement, then pleased surprise, and then excitement. Sheglanced up at Eleanor as the voice continued speaking.
"Oh, we're _so_ glad to hear you are in the city. Now we shall have_lovely_ times!" exclaimed Polly, finally.
A joyous boy's voice continued talking but suddenly it ceased, and Pollylooked at Anne for an explanation. The telephone receiver began clickingstrangely in her ear, and she held it at arm's length in fear of whatmight be going to explode inside that queer tube.
Eleanor laughed and said, "Let me do the talking--it sounds like JimLatimer--is it?"
"Yes, Ken and he landed from the West at midnight, and they are going tothe Mardi Gras with us to-night."
Eleanor now took the telephone, and by the time the operator managed toconnect the interrupted wires, she was ready to chat as if she hadnothing else to do. After ten minutes of silly boy and girl talk, Annewhispered: "Oh, do stop, Nolla! It is eight o'clock and we want to filla good day with work."
"I've got to ring off, now, Jim, but we'll see you to-night. Good-by!"Then Eleanor turned to her companions, and said:
"Well, that's good news, Polly! To have the boys in the city to show usa good time before we start school."
Without saying anything to cause the girls to object because this "goodtime" with the boys might be indefinitely postponed, Anne made up hermind that a home would and _must_ be secured before anyone planned forpleasure or fun.
That day, they sought in buildings on every block uptown that had beenleft uninspected by Mrs. Latimer and Mrs. Evans, but with no success. Ifan apartment of five to seven rooms was found, it would be found to bedark, dirty, or in an objectionable neighborhood. They were ready to paya high rent for six or seven rooms, but nothing suitable could be found.
When they returned to the hotel, at five o'clock, to wash and dress forthe outing that evening, everyone felt discouraged. "And these poordeluded New Yorkers call the band-boxes we saw to-day, apartment rooms?"said Polly, sneering at the homes but not at the poor inmates.
"Owners dare not build the rooms larger, Polly, because real estate inthis city is so valuable and taxable. Every inch of property has to bemade the most of. You know, that is why a builder, in large cities, runshis structures up in the sky--the sky doesn't charge taxes on so muchper foot, but the ground the building stands on does."
"Oh, I never thought of that! So that is why New York houses go uptwenty and thirty stories, eh? The owner has to get his rents out of theair and sky, and pay it over to the land-assessor," Polly exclaimed, ina tone of understanding.
Her friends laughed. "You are an apt pupil, Poll," said Anne.
When their hosts for the evening called for Anne and her party, theywere all ready and eager to start. So they were soon seated in the twocars; Jim driving one, with Polly seated beside him, and Ken, Eleanorand Anne in the back seat. Mrs. Stewart was welcomed with the two ladiesand the two men in the other car.
"Now, Jim," called Mr. Latimer, "you be sure and trail me. I'll gofirst, as I know every foot of the road to Coney Island."
Polly had never been in an automobile before, and at first she feltfrightened; but Jim chatted as he drove, and seemed to take it all sonaturally, that she soon overcame the desire to clutch hold on the sideof the car.
There were hundreds of other automobiles all going in the samedirection, and when our two cars reached the Boulevard, there was such agay stream of machines and people as the girls never dreamed of before.Confetti, paper ribbons, horns and what-not, were used by the passengerson trolleys and in automobiles along the road until the lighted spiresof The Park, and other pleasure-giving resorts of Coney Island wereseen.
Polly looked so different in her smart clothes that Jim Latimer wonderedwhat had happened to turn this pretty ranch girl into such a stunningcity girl in so short a time.
He kept glancing at her oval face, rounded with health and vigor; at herstraight little nose, her wide-open, deep, soulful eyes that seemed toweigh all things wisely; the heavy wavy hair that was becomingly loopedback from her face, and above all, the rich glow in her cheeks, and thecreamy complexion and fine texture of her skin. "Nothing made-up there!"thought Jim.
But Polly was happily unaware of Jim's wondering approval, for she wastoo completely absorbed in the sights about her. She could not have toldanyone what Jim looked like in his city clothes. In fact, after thefirst hasty glance at Ken and him, and the realization that they haddoffed their mountain outfits, she gave no second thought to theirclothes.
At Coney Island, that night, the girls enjoyed one continual lark. EvenMrs. Stewart was urged to go with the elder Latimers and the Evans uponthe chutes, the merry-go-rounds, the Twister, the Winsome Waves, andwhat-not. Such a reckless spirit of fun seemed to possess everyone inthe place, that it was contagious.
When the evening was almost over, and Polly sighed with very surfeit ofso much fun, the boys managed to "lose" the elders and took the twogirls to the beach.
"Oh, how wonderful! I never thought of the ocean. There was so much tosee and to do that I forgot Coney Island was right on the sea,"exclaimed Eleanor.
But Polly said not a word. She was suddenly confronted with the restlessmighty ocean that she had always longed to see. The sense of frivolitythat had filled her for the last few hours vanished, and she gaveherself up to the power of that calm, never-ceasing roll of water. A fewminutes before and she had been weary from so much laughter and sport,but now a wonderful peace and rest pervaded her being.
The boys understood this unusual effect of the ocean upon one who hadnever seen anythin
g like it, and finally Polly heaved a sigh.
"Well, this is better than all else. It's worth coming so far east tosee. It's the only decent thing of which New York can boast."
Her companions laughed; after digging in the soft sand for a short time,and exchanging youthful view-points about everything in the universe,they all sauntered back to the place where the two cars had been parked.
A shout greeted them. "There, I _knew_ you boys had dodged us onpurpose. But Miss Stewart thought you were lost in this crowd."
As everyone felt tired before the cars reached New York City again, theconversation was intermittent. But just before Mr. Latimer drove his carup to the hotel, Mrs. Stewart learned how Dr. and Mrs. Evans, Mrs.Latimer, and the two boys, Jim and Ken, had spent that entire dayhome-hunting for the westerners with no success.
"It seems very strange that in such a vast city one is not able to finda decent apartment," complained Mrs. Stewart.
"We are told 'because of the war.' The war is blamed for everythingthese days, but the real excuse for owners not building now is becauseof the high cost of material and labor. They are all waiting for bettertimes; meantime people must take what can be had, or go without," saidMr. Latimer.
"After hunting the way we have for more than a week, and not havingfound a suitable place, Mrs. Stewart, I would suggest your finding anice boarding-house for the winter. If you put it off too long, eventhose places will be filled," advised Mrs. Latimer.
"Dear me!" sighed Mrs. Stewart. "That was suggested this morning, but Isaid it seemed dreadful, when I came East just to make a home and keephouse for the three girls."
"Yes, it would be much pleasanter for everyone to have a home, but incases like this Fall's shortage of apartments, one must do what is mostexpedient," returned Mrs. Latimer.
Mrs. Stewart told the girls, that night, what had been said, but theyall felt sure something _must_ turn up in the next day or two. So thenext morning before starting out, they laid out a regular plan of work.
"Mother and Eleanor will start where we left off, yesterday, and weave asearch back and forth downtown until they reach the hotel. I will takePolly and, beginning at Washington Square, work uptown until we finish.If either of us find anything at all decent, and in an agreeableneighborhood, pay down a deposit to hold it and be sure to get a receiptas a binder--Mr. Latimer told me that much. Then we will all go for thesecond inspection and decide. Dr. Evans said we'd better pay downseveral deposits rather than lose a place, as we can quickly sell outany option we have for more than we paid down."
Having instructed her friends, Anne added one last bit of advice: "Wewill go as high as $3,000 a year for seven rooms, or $1,500 for four tofive rooms--no more, as that is all shelter is worth. If we can't find aplace at that price, we'll stay in a hotel!"
So the second day of house-hunting went forward by two divisions insteadof one, and all that day Mrs. Stewart and Eleanor experienced the samesnubs, weariness, and failures, as thousands of other home-hunters inNew York had. And at evening they returned wearily to the hotel to hearwhat Anne had accomplished.
"Polly and she have not yet arrived," announced Eleanor, as Mrs. Stewartand she entered their suite.
"I hope she has had better luck than we can brag about," added Mrs.Stewart, dropping into an easy chair.
A long time after the "first division" had returned, baffled, to thehotel, Anne and Polly burst into the room with happy faces.
"Oh, we just found the most wonderful place! Polly and I actually_discovered_ it. We were giving up all hope of ever finding a decentapartment at any reasonable figure, and had started for the subway whenwe saw this one. The flower-boxes caught Polly's eye, so we are reallyindebted to her for having secured our home."
Anne's enthusiasm was contagious, and instantly Mrs. Stewart and Eleanorwanted to know where it was located.
Anne and Polly exchanged smiling glances, as if the secret was tooprecious to impart to others.
"I suppose you two did up the entire upper sections, to-day, eh?" askedAnne, countering their eager queries.
"Did we? I should say we did! I got a taxi for the day and we flew fromone pile of stone and marble to the next, and so many rides up and downin gorgeous elevators all day has kept my head still spinning. But wehad the same results as yesterday. When you inspect one of these modernhoney-combs you see them all. The only difference being that a fewowners manage to retain the elevator and telephone operators, while themajority of superintendents apologise by saying, 'My help went on astrike, to-day.'
"It really looks, Anne, as if these poor New Yorkers will have to moveout to the country if they want to live this year," remarked Mrs.Stewart, earnestly.
Her companions laughed and Anne said: "Mother, you are too precocious.But now listen to our 'find'!
"As I planned, you two went uptown while Polly and I went downtown fromhere. We covered all the lower sections by criss-crossing back andforth, but we came away from the Gramercy Park section, late thisafternoon, with an utter sense of failure. In fact, I was silentlyplanning to inquire about good boarding-houses, when we hailed aLexington avenue car, going north.
"Being woolly westerners, we failed to ascertain how far northwards thecar went, and having paid our fares, sat down. I remember turning toPolly and saying, 'This is actually the first car in New York that Ihave been on that wasn't crowded to the platforms.'"
Polly laughed at the remembrance, and Anne smiled. "But it was oursalvation, Anne," ventured the former.
Anne nodded and continued her story. "Then we soon learned why therewere vacant seats on that car. A pleasant-faced, grey-haired man ofabout fifty, must have overheard my comment because he spoke to us afterwe were seated.
"'Perhaps you did not know that this car goes no farther north than thenext block? It is switched back downtown, from that point. Did not theconductor mention it to you?'
"I was furious, and I replied: 'No! he never said a word when I paid thefares.'
"By this time the car stopped and the conductor called out: 'Allout--dis car goes no furder. We switch back next corner!'
"So Polly and I had to get off with the others. When we stepped downfrom the car, the nice man lifted his hat to us and said: 'I judge youare strangers in the city. Can I direct you anywhere?'
"I thanked him and told him we were only going as far as Forty-secondstreet to the hotel. Then I added, sarcastically: 'But there may be nocars which run as far north as that street!'
"He laughed and said: 'You had better walk over to Fourth avenue and getthe car there. It takes you through the tunnel much quicker than theLexington avenue car runs to Forty-second street. But be careful and donot board a car that stops at the car-house on Thirty-second street.'
"We all laughed at that, as it would have been just like me to do so;then we thanked him and started along Thirty-first street to reach thecar. And there we found our Haven of Hope!"
"Where? Not on Thirty-first street, I trust!" exclaimed Mrs. Stewart."Isn't that section of the city dreadful?"
"Not the block where we found a home," explained Anne. "It has severalremodeled houses and several other flat houses on it."
"But just wait until you see our house--it's fine!" said Polly, eagerly.
"Polly caught hold of my arm and exclaimed: 'Oh, Anne! see the lovelyflower-boxes in that cute little house!'
"I saw three narrow windows on the second floor with green flower-boxeson the outside sills, but then my eyes dropped lower and I spied aswinging sign at a side-door. It merely said: 'To Let' inquire, etc.Polly saw it at the same moment, so we stood and gazed at each other.
"'Let's try and peep in at this window,' suggested Polly.
"I agreed, and we did our best to see what was within; but the longiron-lattice that covered the four slits in the wide front doors, werecovered from the inside. So we went to hunt up the agent.
"His office was only a few blocks down Fourth avenue, so Polly and Ihurried there before it should be closed for the day. A boy was t
old toaccompany us and we were soon inspecting the premises. Our escortoffered all the information he had heard in the real estate office.
"'This hain't been on our books more'n a day. I just hung out the signthis morning. The last man what lived here was an artist and he fixed upeverything like you see it now. But he wanted the owner to take out thestable doors and put in a studio-winder, and when the owner wouldn'tspend a cent, the artist up and moved. My boss said the next tenantwould insist on having the doors taken out, so you might as well kickabout them being here, and see if you'se kin get the winder in.'"
Anne's mimicry of the office-boy was perfect and her hearers laughed,but Mrs. Stewart had caught the significant words: "Stable doors," andnow she looked deeply concerned. Anne hastened to end her narrative whenshe saw her mother's expression.
"So Polly and I went back to the agent's, heard the price of the place,and paid down half a month's rent to hold it until you all can go withus to-morrow morning to approve of our selection."
"Oh, Anne! how much was it a month?" exclaimed Eleanor, eagerly, whileMrs. Stewart looked dubious over such recklessness.
"One-fifty a month, and we can have a straight lease--no humbuggingabout clauses."
"And how many rooms, did you say, dear?" gasped Mrs. Stewart.
"I didn't say, mother, and I told Poll not to say more until after yousee it in the morning."
"But I like it, and it really does seem as if Providence sent us throughthat street," added Polly, sighing with content.
"Eleanor, did you hear Anne say it had stable-doors?" now ventured Mrs.Stewart, fearfully.
"No! did you, Anne? Why would it have stable-doors?"
"Because in the days of horses and carriages, it was some rich man'sprivate stable," laughed Anne, enjoying the horror on her mother's face.
"A stable! Ha, ha, ha--for a Maynard of Chicago! Oh--ha, ha, ha!"laughed Eleanor, rocking back and forth.
Even Mrs. Stewart had to laugh at the picture Eleanor's exclamationsuggested--Mrs. Maynard and Barbara calling upon a member of theirfamily who was living in an East Side stable!
Any doubt of this being just the place they wanted vanished in themorning when Anne and Polly proudly escorted Mrs. Stewart and Eleanorabout their future domicile. True, it had all the ear-marks of a stablefrom the _outside_, but once you were within, there was only an artistichome to be seen. The ground-floor which had once held four stalls and aharness-room, with space for two carriages, was now partitioned off in amanner that made the most of the space. A large living-room across thefront acted as entrance-hall and passageway to the rear rooms and secondfloor. In the corner of the living-room, where the small brick chimneyhad served as smoke-vent for the stove of former days, there now was awide tiled fire-place which would hold great logs.
Double glass-paneled doors led from the front room to the dining-roomwith its two high-set square windows opening to the sunlight in therear. Also a single door went to the kitchen, which also had two highwindows like those in the adjoining room. From the kitchen, a back dooropened upon a tiny grass-platted garden of about twenty feet square. Afine locust tree grew in one corner of the plot and gave shade in theafternoon.
Anne explained certain peculiar features regarding the windows of theback-rooms. "Don't you see why they are so high? It is because they wereonce the ventilators to the stalls. Each horse had his own window forair. But I think they now make the rooms look quaint, don't you?"
The others agreed with her, and Eleanor said: "If we had a shelf runningalong under the windows, it would look better."
"And we can use it for china," added Polly.
Anne now started to go upstairs, followed by the other three; they allexamined the bedrooms and were delighted with them. There were two largefront and two smaller rear rooms, with a fine tiled bathroom between theback rooms. Not one of the rooms was as small as the largest chambersseen in the modern apartments.
"And all for a hundred and fifty a month!" exclaimed Eleanor, joyously.
"I reckon we'd better take it at once, children," said Mrs. Stewart,approvingly.
"But remember," said Anne, on the way to the agent's office, "we have tomake all inside repairs, or redecorate as we want. There is no steamheat or hot water supplied, either, like the swell apartment houses,uptown, offer us."
"I'd rather have it so, Anne dear," replied Mrs. Stewart. "I've alwaysbeen used to a coal range and those fandangled gas ideas worried me, butI didn't say anything to you-all. I noticed what a fine little kitchenstove this one has, so you'll always have hot water--never fear. As forheat! Well, a great open fire-place in the front room will help heatupstairs, and there is a register in the bathroom that comes from thekitchen stove-pipe."
"We can use electric or gas radiators, Anne," added Eleanor, eagerly,"in very cold weather."
"I never knew what heated bedrooms were like, in Pebbly Pit, Anne,"Polly said, anxious to have a word.
"Besides we may have a very mild winter," remarked Anne.
So the lease was signed and the first month's rent paid. "We'll give youany assistance you may need in getting the place in order, Mrs.Stewart," said the agent, as he handed the papers to his new tenant.
"That will be very nice, and we will take advantage of your offer, atonce. I want the kitchen range and stove pipe put in perfect workingorder, and please see that the radiator in the bathroom is notobstructed in any way," said the lady.
Anne and the agent exchanged looks and laughed. "I can see where Mrs.Stewart expects to enjoy herself this winter. Well, I told my wife theother day, we were more comfortable when we had an old-fashioned flatwith a kitchen range, than we now are with all the latest modernimprovements," returned the agent.
"Anne, Polly and I want our rooms repapered and painted," whisperedEleanor, tugging at Anne's sleeve.
"I was about to suggest that you have all the woodwork given one coat ofnice fresh paint, but the paper now on the walls is very expensive andartistic, so I wouldn't be in too great a hurry to have it done over.The last tenant imported his own paper at a great expense for thatplace," explained the agent.
"I think you are very kind and sensible to advise us in this way. Sowe'll have the men do the paint but not touch the paper until we havehad time to look it over again," said Anne.
"When can we move in?" questioned Polly.
"Any time you like; but I would advise having the painters out first. Iwill send two men to begin work in there to-morrow."
Then the four delighted tenants left the office, and on the walk back tothe corner where they wished to board the car they eagerly planned howthey would furnish their home.