ing a car. They were carrying great
three-by-six joists on their shoulders. Would he be asked to do anything
like that. He scarcely thought so. Mr. Haverford had distinctly
indicated in his letter to Mr. Litlebrown that he was to be built up by
degrees. Carrying great joists did not appeal to him as the right way,
but he presented his letter. He had previously looked about on the high
ground which lay to the back of the river and which commanded this point
of land, to see if he could find a place to board and lodge, but had
seen nothing. The section was very exclusive, occupied by suburban New
Yorkers of wealth, and they were not interested in the proposition which
he had formulated in his own mind, namely his temporary reception
somewhere as a paying guest. He had visions of a comfortable home
somewhere now with nice people, for strangely enough the securing of
this very minor position had impressed him as the beginning of the end
of his bad luck. He was probably going to get well now, in the course of
time. If he could only live with some nice family for the summer. In the
fall if he were improving, and he thought he might be, Angela could come
on. It might be that one of the dealers, Pottle Freres or Jacob Bergman
or Henry LaRue would have sold a picture. One hundred and fifty or two
hundred dollars joined to his salary would go a long way towards making
their living moderately comfortable. Besides Angela's taste and economy,
coupled with his own art judgment, could make any little place look
respectable and attractive.

The problem of finding a room was not so easy. He followed the track
south to a settlement which was visible from the shop windows a quarter
of a mile away, and finding nothing which suited his taste as to
location, returned to Speonk proper and followed the little creek inland
half a mile. This adventure delighted him for it revealed a semi-circle
of charming cottages ranged upon a hill slope which had for its
footstool the little silvery-bosomed stream. Between the stream and the
hill slope ran a semi-circular road and above that another road. Eugene
could see at a glance that here was middle class prosperity, smooth
lawns, bright awnings, flower pots of blue and yellow and green upon the
porches, doorsteps and verandas. An auto standing in front of one house
indicated a certain familiarity with the ways of the rich, and a summer
road house, situated at the intersection of a road leading out from Ne