worked out the problem for the family. Marija and Jonas
were each to pay sixteen dollars a month board, and the old
man insisted that he could do the same as soon as he got
a place -- which might be any day now. That would make
ninety-three dollars. Then Marija and Jonas were between
them to take a third share in the house, which would leave
only eight dollars a month for Jurgis to contribute to the
payment. So they would have eighty-five dollars a month,
-- or, supposing that Dede Antanas did not get work at
once, seventy dollars a month -- which ought surely to be
sufficient for the support of a family of twelve.

An hour before the time on Sunday morning the entire
party set out. They had the address written on a piece of
paper, which they showed to someone now and then. It
proved to be a long mile and a half, but they walked it,
and half an hour or so later the agent put in an appearance.
He was a smooth and florid personage, elegantly dressed, and
he spoke their language freely, which gave him a great
advantage in dealing with them. He escorted them to the
house, which was one of a long row of the typical frame
dwellings of the neighborhood, where architecture is a
luxury that is dispensed with. Ona's heart sank, for the
house was not as it was shown in the picture; the color-
scheme was different, for one thing, and then it did not
seem quite so big. Still, it was freshly painted, and made
a considerable show. It was all brand-new, so the agent
told them, but he talked so incessantly that they were quite
confused, and did not have time to ask many questions.
There were all sorts of things they had made up their minds
to inquire about, but when the time came, they either for~
got them or lacked the courage. The other houses in the
row did not seem to be new, and few of them seemed to be
occupied. When they ventured to hint at this, the agent's
reply was that the purchasers would be moving in shortly.
To press the matter would have seemed to be doubting his
word, and never in their lives had any one of them ever
spoken to a person of the class called "gentleman" except
with deference and humility.

The house had a basement, about two feet below the

[[55]]

p054 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p055w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p056

v?