West Twenty-third Street is too far away, dear. I don't like the
neighbourhood. Wouldn't you rather be in Park Avenue?" Her ignorance of
New York, though she had lived there seventeen years, amazed Fanny, who
was a true child of the city.

"Carlie Herndon lives in that row, mother"--Carlie Herndon, the daughter
of a distinguished and unpopular novelist, was Fanny's best friend for
the moment--"and I could always go out with her in the evening."

"It isn't the location I should have liked, Fanny," said Gabriella,
weakly yielding, as she always yielded to her daughter; "but if you
really fancy the house, I'll try to look at it on my way home to-morrow.
One has to be very careful about the plumbing in these old houses. I
insist upon good plumbing. After that, you may have what you want."

"Oh, it has brand new bathrooms, Mrs. Mallon told me so, and she's
lived there until a year ago. And if you had only seen the new
apartments we looked at, mother, nothing on the East Side that would
have held us under twenty-five hundred a year, and even at that the
bedrooms were no bigger than closets, and you'd have to have electric
light all day in the bathroom. We searched everywhere, didn't we, Miss
Polly?"

"West Twenty-third Street is mighty far out of the way, honey," observed
Miss Polly cautiously.

"Oh, but I'd have Carlie, and she's my best friend," persisted Fanny,
with caressing obstinacy.

"Well, we'll see, precious," said Gabriella, while she assured herself