onged for a little house and garden of their own. But they were
busy people, and this would mean extra hours of care and labor, more
demands on their strength, and a longer travel distance--a load they
felt they could not carry. So they sought an apartment.

The search was long but they found it. It was in a small structure, on a
quiet street, and several flights up, without elevator. But, as Peggy
said, "Elevators have not been in style in our boarding houses, and
flights of stairs have--so what matters it?" The suite, when you arrived
up there, was airy and comfortable. It provided two bedrooms, a cheery
living room, a dining room and a kitchenette. Clarice remarked, "The
'ette' is so small we can save steps by being within hand's reach of
everything, no matter where we stand."

The rent was less than the combined rental of their four old rooms. Heat
and janitor service were provided without charge, but they were obliged
to meet the expense of gas for the range and of electric lights.

They might have lived along happily in their new nest without a budget,
and without specific agreements as to expense. But they were business
girls. So they sat right down and decided every point, modifying each,
under trial, to a workable proposition. Then they stuck to it and _made_
it work.

There was the matter of furnishing. Each partner, while retaining
personal title to her property, contributed to general use such articles
of furniture she possessed as met apartment needs. From one, for
example, came a comfortable bed, from another, chairs and a reading
lamp, from a third a lounge chair, and from the fourth her piano and
couch. Of small rugs, sofa pillows, pictures and miscellaneous small
furnishings there were sufficient to make possible a real selection.

Then the four determined on further absolute essentials to make the rooms
homelike. There were needed comfortable single beds for each, dressing
tables, bed linen, dining-room equipment, kitchen ware, a chair or two,
and draperies. Their decisions were made in committee-of-the-whole,
and nothing was done that could not meet with the willing consent of all.

To meet the first cost they each contributed fifty dollars from their
small savings, and assessed themselves a dollar and a quarter per week
thereafter. They then bought their equipment, paying part cash and
arranging for the balance on time. And be sure it was fun getting it!

Then there was the question of meals. I