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