usness! George rubbed his feet over
the new carpets and Bass examined the quality of the furniture
critically. "Swell," was his comment. Mrs. Gerhardt roved to and fro
like a person in a dream. She could not believe that these bright
bedrooms, this beautiful parlor, this handsome dining-room were
actually hers.

Gerhardt came last of all. Although he tried hard not to show it,
he, too, could scarcely refrain from enthusiastic comment. The sight
of an opal-globed chandelier over the dining-room table was the
finishing touch.

"Gas, yet!" he said.

He looked grimly around, under his shaggy eyebrows, at the new
carpets under his feet, the long oak extension table covered with a
white cloth and set with new dishes, at the pictures on the walls, the
bright, clean kitchen. He shook his head. "By chops, it's fine!" he
said. "It's very nice. Yes, it's very nice. We want to be careful now
not to break anything. It's so easy to scratch things up, and then
it's all over." Yes, even Gerhardt was satisfied.

CHAPTER XXVI

It would be useless to chronicle the events of the three years that
followed--events and experiences by which the family grew from an
abject condition of want to a state of comparative self-reliance,
based, of course, on the obvious prosperity of Jennie and the
generosity (through her) of her distant husband. Lester was seen now
and then, a significant figure, visiting Cleveland, and sometimes
coming out to the house where he occupied with Jennie the two best
rooms of the second floor. There were hurried trips on her
part--in answer to telegraph massages--to Chicago, to St.
Louis, to New York. One of his favorite pastimes was to engage
quarters at the great resorts--Hot Springs, Mt. Clemens,
Saratoga--and for a period of a week or two at a stretch enjoy
the luxury of living with Jennie as his wife. There were other times
when he would pass through Cleveland only for the privilege of seeing
her for a day. All the time he was aware that he was throwing on her
the real burden of a rather difficult situation, but he did not see
how he could remedy it at this time. He was not sure as yet that he
really wanted to. They were getting along fairly well.

The attitude of the Gerhardt family toward this condition of
affairs was peculiar. At first, in spite of the irregularity of it, it
seemed natural enough. Jennie said she was married. No one had seen
her marriage certificate, but she said so, and she seemed