obe, pajamas, underwear, shirts,
collars, cuffs, gloves, hats, shoes, etc., all brand new and marked
"John Convert." Upon the dressing case was a small jewel box, containing
several kinds of gold cuff buttons, diamond scarf pins, and a solid gold
watch, on the inside of which was inscribed, "From Arletta to John."

It took some time for me to get over the wonderment into which I was
plunged at the sight of these things, and the contemplation of how far
Arletta intended going before ceasing her benevolent acts towards me,
but after spending an hour or two in becoming accustomed to my
surroundings and putting the various articles away into the bureaus and
wardrobes, I decided to make a general survey of the entire hotel
premises.

I learned that the Waldoria Hotel was thirty stories high, and covered
an entire block in the most fashionable district in New York City. In
many ways it resembled a small city in itself, containing a bank,
theatre, music hall, photograph gallery, art studio, gymnasium, laundry,
electric plant, Turkish baths, tonsorial apartments, brokers' offices,
library, and various ball-rooms, besides four different restaurants, two
cafes, and several reception and smoking rooms for the use of its
patrons.

The entire roof of the building was utilized as a promenade and summer
garden for musical entertainments.

The hotel could accommodate about three thousand guests, who occupied
apartments, the rentals of which cost from three to one hundred and
fifty dollars per day. About two thousand employees were necessary to
keep the establishment in good running order. Each floor had a separate
clerk and corps of attendants, and nobody could gain admission to any of
the apartment floors except the occupants and their guests.

All of the apartments of the hotel, from the magnificent "Royal Suite"
to the single bedrooms of the transients, were furnished in the most
luxurious manner possible. Costly draperies, priceless paintings, and
exquisite furnishings of every description, adorned the drawing-rooms,
ball-rooms, foyers and restaurants. Statues of ancient personages
ornamented the different hallways, while the carved marble and woodwork
seen everywhere showed splendid workmanship. Sweet strains of music from
the orchestras stationed in different balconies could be heard in most
any part of the building.

Seated on either side of the long, commodious corridors, on lounges
overhung by palms and tropical plants