"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 to make all inside repairs, or redecorate as we want. There is no steam heat 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 always been used to a coal range and those fandangled gas ideas worried me, but I didn't say anything to you-all. I noticed what a fine little kitchen stove this one has, so you'll always have hot water-never fear. As for heat! Well, a great open fire-place in the front room will help heat upstairs, and there is a register in the bathroom that comes from the kitchen 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 you any a.s.sistance 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, at once. I want the kitchen range and stove pipe put in perfect working order, and please see that the radiator in the bathroom is not obstructed 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 the other day, we were more comfortable when we had an old-fashioned flat with a kitchen range, than we now are with all the latest modern improvements," returned the agent.

"Anne, Polly and I want our rooms repapered and painted," whispered Eleanor, tugging at Anne's sleeve.

"I was about to suggest that you have all the woodwork given one coat of nice fresh paint, but the paper now on the walls is very expensive and artistic, 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 that place," explained the agent.

"I think you are very kind and sensible to advise us in this way. So we'll have the men do the paint but not touch the paper until we have had 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. I will send two men to begin work in there to-morrow."

Then the four delighted tenants left the office, and on the walk back to the corner where they wished to board the car they eagerly planned how they would furnish their home.

CHAPTER III-FURNISHING THE STABLE

"Anne, if we hurry and get the furniture, we can settle our home before school starts," suggested Eleanor, eagerly.

"If you-all had only let me ship my stuff from Denver you wouldn't have to buy a stick!" declared Mrs. Stewart.

They were standing on the corner waiting for an uptown car but not one was in sight. Anne showed signs of impatience but exclaimed at her mother's remark:

"Mother, you know very well what the crating and freight would have cost, and you sold your stuff for more than it was worth. I think you are most fortunate to have that little roll of money on hand, when you consider the wear and tear your furniture has had in the last thirty years."

"Anyway, Mrs. Stewart, I don't want Victorian period in our house. Polly and I want to furnish and decorate our own rooms as we like. This is to be our first experiment in real artistic work," said Eleanor, comfortingly.

Polly nodded her head at these words; but standing with her back to the curb, her face was opposite a large show-window in the corner building.

Now, as if by some magnet, her eyes were attracted to what that window contained.

"Why, just see there! Right near our street is a furniture shop!" With this exclamation, Polly ran over to inspect the objects displayed in the window. A carved four-poster, and other rare antiques, drew the attention of the little group.

Polly glanced around to see what furniture shop it was that was so near their new home.

"Why! It's an auction place. Surely, it cannot be that such wonderful things are sold in a junk room," exclaimed Mrs. Stewart.

That made the other three look also, and Eleanor added: "It doesn't follow that just because this is an auction house, that it must be a junk room."

"Well, I never saw anything but awful junk in the second-hand place in Oak Creek," explained Polly.

"Even the Denver dealers sell only junk, Nolla. But it may be different in New York. Everything seems to be different," said Anne.

"Of course it is! Why wouldn't it be when you stop to think of it. In the first place, no one in Oak Creek ever had anything but junk to sell.

And in Denver, where everyone hangs on to every stick they have, simply because it is so difficult to get anything worth while, the poor second-hand dealer starves for want of trade. But here, as well as in Chicago, folks send stuff to places like this for sale, when they can't find a place to move into. I just bet there will be thousands of families that will have to sell out this year just because there are not enough homes for all of them." Eleanor's logic was sound, and Polly ventured a suggestion.

"I'd love to go in there and see what they do with such pieces. There are lots of well-dressed people going in-come on."

Nothing loath to see the interior of a New York second-hand shop, the westerners went to the front door. There a colored porter stood and bowed politely.

"Sale goin' on in third room, right, ladies; have a catalogue?"

As the uniformed attendant offered Anne a pamphlet of about twenty pages, he waved them inside out of the doorway. Then he repeated his directions to the next couple who followed directly after Mrs. Stewart's party.

To say the four friends were astonished at the size and quality of the auction-rooms is speaking mildly. Not a piece of furniture but looked rare and expensive. It seemed improbable that it all was for sale.

A second attendant now came up and said: "Sale now going on in south gallery, ladies."

Then Anne took her courage in her hands. "We have never visited a sale before, so you will confer a favor by showing us where to go, or what to do. We are about to furnish a house."

The man sensed a good customer, and gallantly showed them through several well-stocked rooms until they reached the last, where a smiling smooth-tongued individual sat behind a raised desk and spoke conversationally to the crowd which sat in rows before him.

"Jake, find me four chairs, in a hurry," whispered the man who was conducting Anne's party.

Without confusion and in a moment's time, Jake carried over four wonderful Jacobean chairs, two in each hand, their backs to each other, and handled as recklessly as if the fine carving was made of unbreakable metal.

"Now, ladies, enjoy yourselves," the smiling attendant said; then he stopped for a moment at the desk to say a word to the auctioneer who continued his selling as if no new victims had been introduced.

One marvelous article after another was brought forth and placed for exhibition upon the Persian rug that covered the platform in front of the audience. And one after another, the objects of art and beauty were sold to different buyers at a preposterously low figure.

But the wily auctioneer took notice that not a member of the newly arrived party was bidding on anything. He decided that this must not be, so he stood up to address the a.s.sembly.

"Friends, I know that you are here to buy and not to waste your time in mere curiosity. If there is any particular article you need, or have seen on the premises, speak out and I will oblige you by introducing it in this sale."

He glanced over the crowd and finally allowed his gaze to rest upon the four who sat in the front row. They all felt guilty of using his time and room when they had no idea of buying any particular thing. Mrs.

Stewart was about to whisper to Anne that they had better go when Eleanor spoke up fearlessly.

"I saw a four-poster in the show-window before I came in. Is it for sale?"