Woman's Trials; Or, Tales and Sketches from the Life around Us

gan her experiment. The expense of a removal, and the cost of the additional chamber furniture required, exhausted about two h

d, soon after, a friend of his, a clerk in the same store, named Mason. They were room-mates, and paid three dollars and a half each. Three or four weeks elapsed before any further additions were made; then an advertisement brought several applications. One was from a gentleman who wanted two rooms for h

on demurred.

house-that is, boarders who paid this amount weekly-and the rent alone amounted to twelve dollars. Sixteen dollars, she argued with herself, as she sat with her eyes upon the floor, would make a great difference in her

fting her eyes to the man's hard features. "But t

offering only fourteen dollars. "But the rooms are fine, and I like them. Six

ow sigh

und, it did not touch a

I am to have your rooms at

will take y

ll be ready to come in on Monday nex

s,

ntleman called to know if Mrs. Darlington h

; but it is taken,"

sorry f

nd story room. We pay twelve dollars a week, and would even give more, if necessary, to obtain just the

lington, into whose mind came the desire t

ase," retur

he large and beautifu

d, much pleased with the appearance of every thing

this morning; but, no doubt, I can arrange with the family to

you

ty, I presume. You'll pa

es

urself a

t's

ir; you can h

ek is up to-day where we are; and, if it is ag

agreeable

bowed polite

vely engaged to Mr. Ring. The face of Mr. Scragg she remembered very well. It was a hard, sinister face, just such a one as we rarely forget because of the disagreeable impression it makes. As

session of the room previously engaged to Mr. Scragg. Th

m a note, saying that she had changed her mind about the rooms, and could not let him have them. But she was ignorant of his address; and the only thing left for her was to wait until he came on Monday, and then

s was the day on which Mr. Scragg and family were t

her dress. Thinking that this might be the announcement of Mr. Scragg's arrival, she hurried through her dressing in order to get down to the parlour as quickly

The rooms on the se

passage, and the din of children's voice

n her door was flung widely open, and a strange man stepped b

ne of the

embarrassment. Just then, four rude children bounded into the room, sp

g, on perceiving a lady in the room, whose manner s

take at all,"

he two rooms

ington entered, in

e parlour, if you

Scragg, showing no inclina

Darlington, whose sense of propriety was outraged by the man

ing down stairs, followed by his brood. The moment he left the chamber, the door was shu

they had all reached the parlour, planting his hands upon his hips as he spoke

dressing the man's wife in a tone of forced co

dy sat

xplain the meaning of all thi

hat I have let the front room in the second story to

Scragg, with a particular exhib

t both the rooms in the second

id;

mine. Please to inform the lady and her husband that I am here with my family, and desire them to vacate t

out of the question," said Mrs. Darlingto

I will have them!" re

," now interposed Mrs. Scra

Mrs. Darlington-"will you be kind enough to inform th

d awakened something of the right spirit-"Mr. Scragg, I wish you to understand, once

ad

ry nearly as good, and am willing to take you for something less in consideration of this disap

ragg understood to mean a fixed purpose. Moreover, his mind caught at th

e rooms?" he

d story c

ro

es

to go to the

the back chamber down stairs

l be your

een do

rs. Scragg. "Two dollars a we

business. When I make an agreement, I'm up to the mark, and expect th

d so did all the juvenile Scraggs-the latter springing up the stairs with the agility of a

-and, after some further rudeness on the part of Mr. Scragg, and an effort to beat