ll use common sense. It vexes me to hear
everybody telling what abuses they stand in New York apartments, and not
one of them has the courage to make a fight for liberty. An Englishman
wouldn't stand it for one minute, but we Americans are cowards about
'scenes' and 'fusses' and such things, and year by year our rights are
passing from our hands into the hands of foreigners and the lower
classes, who already rule us because they don't mind a fight."

"True," said Aubrey.

Much flattered by his approval, I proceeded more calmly. It always puts
me in a heavenly temper not to be opposed.

"Now we will give this Jepson person one more chance. If he abuses his
authority or tramples on even the fringe of our rights, we will revolt."

"Good!" cried Aubrey, perfectly willing to become enthusiastic over an
encounter not in the immediate future. But his peaceful disposition once
roused, and my inflammable nature crawls into the darkest corner under
the bed to escape the sight of the consequences.

It came to be the first week in October without anything more irritating
happening than that all our protests had been disregarded, and we picked
our way through sloppy halls and dismissed our guests with forced jests
about bathing suits being furnished by the agent for them to reach the
street door in safety, and all such things, keeping up a proud front, but
secretly mortified almost to death, for anybody would know from our
location that we were paying a high rent, and then to think--

However--

On this early October morning we found frost on the windows, and,
although we had no thermometer, we knew that we were cold. We hurried
out into the dining-room and lighted the gas-logs. They were new, and
inside of five minutes we had every window in the house open and
handkerchiefs to our noses. We said we would stand it and burn the new
off, but we have lived here two years and the new is still on. So then
we said we must have heat. This was before Janitor Harris left, so
Aubrey, after ringing in vain for half an hour, went down and told him to
make a fire in the furnaces. Harris said we were to have no heat until
the fifteenth of November. It was a rule of all apartment-houses.
Aubrey said, "Nonsense!" But when he came up-stairs Mary confirmed the
janitor. She said it was a rule in New York.

We said nothing, but we felt that this was the time for our declaration
of independence.

First we bought thermometers for