Theyevenspentsometimeintheartgallery。Trina’scousinSelina，whogavelessonsinhandpaintingattwobitsanhour，generallyhadanexhibitonthewalls，whichtheywereinterestedtofind。Itusuallywasabunchofyellowpoppiespaintedonblackvelvetandframedingilt。Theystoodbeforeitsomelittletime，hazardingtheiropinions，andthenmovedonslowlyfromonepicturetoanother。TrinahadMcTeaguebuyacatalogueandmadeadutyoffindingthetitleofeverypicture。This，too，shetoldMcTeague，asakindofeducationoneoughttocultivate。Trinaprofessedtobefondofart，havingperhapsacquiredatasteforpaintingandsculpturefromherexperiencewiththeNoah’sarkanimals。
　　“Ofcourse，“shetoldthedentist，“I’mnocritic，IonlyknowwhatIlike。“Sheknewthatshelikedthe“IdealHeads，“lovelygirlswithflowingstraw-coloredhairandimmense，upturnedeyes。Thesealwayshadfortitle，“Reverie，“or“AnIdyll，“or“DreamsofLove。“
　　“Ithinkthosearelovely，don’tyou，Mac？“shesaid。
　　“Yes，yes，“answeredMcTeague，noddinghishead，bewildered，tryingtounderstand。“Yes，yes，lovely，that’stheword。
　　Areyoudeadsurenow，Trina，thatallthat’shand-paintedjustlikethepoppies？“
　　Thusthewinterpassed，ayearwentby，thentwo。ThelittlelifeofPolkStreet，thelifeofsmalltraders，drugclerks，grocers，stationers，plumbers，dentists，doctors，spirit-mediums，andthelike，ranonmonotonouslyinitsaccustomedgrooves。ThefirstthreeyearsoftheirmarriedlifewroughtlittlechangeinthefortunesoftheMcTeagues。
　　Inthethirdsummerthebranchpost-officewasmovedfromthegroundflooroftheflattoacornerfartherupthestreetinordertobenearthecablelinethatranmailcars。ItsplacewastakenbyaGermansaloon，calleda“WeinStube，“inthefaceoftheprotestsofeveryfemalelodger。Afewmonthslaterquitealittleflurryofexcitementranthroughthestreetontheoccasionof“ThePolkStreetOpenAirFestival，“organizedtocelebratetheintroductionthereofelectriclights。Thefestivallastedthreedaysandwasquiteanaffair。Thestreetwasgarlandedwithyellowandwhitebunting；therewereprocessionsand“floats“andbrassbands。MarcusSchoulerwasinhiselementduringthewholetimeofthecelebration。Hewasoneofthemarshalsoftheparade，andwastobeseenateveryhouroftheday，wearingaborrowedhighhatandcottongloves，andgallopingabroken-downcab-horseoverthecobbles。Hecarriedabatoncoveredwithyellowandwhitecalico，withwhichhemadefuriouspassesandgestures。Hisvoicewassoonreducedtoawhisperbycontinuedshouting，andheragedandfrettedovertriflestillheworehimselfthin。McTeaguewasdisgustedwithhim。
　　AsoftenasMarcuspassedthewindowoftheflatthedentistwouldmutter：
　　“Ah，youthinkyou’resmart，don’tyou？“
　　Theresultofthefestivalwastheorganizingofabodyknownasthe“PolkStreetImprovementClub，“ofwhichMarcuswaselectedsecretary。McTeagueandTrinaoftenheardofhiminthiscapacitythroughHeisetheharness-maker。
　　Marcushadevidentlycometohavepoliticalaspirations。Itappearedthathewasgainingareputationasamakerofspeeches，deliveredwithfieryemphasis，andoccasionallyreprintedinthe“Progress，“theorganoftheclub——
　　“outragedconstituencies，““opinionswarpedbypersonalbias，““eyesblindedbypartyprejudice，“etc。
　　Ofherfamily，Trinaheardeveryfortnightinlettersfromhermother。TheupholsterybusinesswhichMr。Sieppehadboughtwasdoingpoorly，andMrs。SieppebewailedthedayshehadeverleftBStreet。Mr。Sieppewaslosingmoneyeverymonth。Owgooste，whowastohavegonetoschool，hadbeenforcedtogotoworkin“thestore，“pickingwaste。
　　Mrs。Sieppewasobligedtotakealodgerortwo。Affairswereinaverybadway。OccasionallyshespokeofMarcus。
　　Mr。Sieppehadnotforgottenhimdespitehisowntroubles，butstillhadaneyeoutforsomeonewhomMarcuscould“goinwith“onaranch。
　　ItwastowardtheendofthisperiodofthreeyearsthatTrinaandMcTeaguehadtheirfirstseriousquarrel。Trinahadtalkedsomuchabouthavingalittlehouseoftheirownatsomefutureday，thatMcTeaguehadatlengthcometoregardtheaffairastheendandobjectofalltheirlabors。
　　Foralongtimetheyhadhadtheireyesupononehouseinparticular。Itwassituatedonacrossstreetcloseby，betweenPolkStreetandthegreatavenueoneblockabove，andhardlyaSundayafternoonpassedthatTrinaandMcTeaguedidnotgoandlookatit。Theystoodforfullyhalfanhourupontheothersideofthestreet，examiningeverydetailofitsexterior，hazardingguessesastothearrangementoftherooms，commentinguponitsimmediateneighborhood——whichwasrathersordid。Thehousewasawoodentwo-storyarrangement，builtbyamisguidedcontractorinasortofhideousQueenAnnestyle，allscrollsandmeaninglessmillwork，withacheapimitationofstainedglassinthelightoverthedoor。Therewasamicroscopicfrontyardfullofdustycalla-lilies。Thefrontdoorboastedanelectricbell。ButfortheMcTeaguesitwasanidealhome。Theirideawastoliveinthislittlehouse，thedentistretainingmerelyhisofficeintheflat。Thetwoplaceswerebutaroundthecornerfromeachother，sothatMcTeaguecouldlunchwithhiswife，asusual，andcouldevenkeephisearlymorningappointmentsandreturntobreakfastifhesodesired。
　　However，thehousewasoccupied。AHungarianfamilylivedinit。Thefatherkeptastationeryandnotion“bazaar“
　　nexttoHeise’sharness-shoponPolkStreet，whiletheoldestsonplayedathirdviolinintheorchestraofatheatre。Thefamilyrentedthehouseunfurnishedforthirty-fivedollars，payingextraforthewater。
　　ButoneSundayasTrinaandMcTeagueontheirwayhomefromtheirusualwalkturnedintothecrossstreetonwhichthelittlehousewassituated，theybecamepromptlyawareofanunwontedbustlegoingonuponthesidewalkinfrontofit。
　　Adraywasbackagainstthecurb，anexpresswagondroveawayloadedwithfurniture；bedsteads，looking-glasses，andwashbowlslitteredthesidewalks。TheHungarianfamilyweremovingout。
　　“Oh，Mac，look！“gaspedTrina。
　　“Sure，sure，“mutteredthedentist。
　　Afterthattheyspokebutlittle。Forupwardsofanhourthetwostooduponthesidewalkopposite，watchingintentlyallthatwentforward，absorbed，excited。
　　Ontheeveningofthenextdaytheyreturnedandvisitedthehouse，findingagreatdelightingoingfromroomtoroomandimaginingthemselvesinstalledtherein。Herewouldbethebedroom，herethedining-room，hereacharminglittleparlor。Astheycameoutuponthefrontstepsoncemoretheymettheowner，anenormous，red-facedfellow，sofatthathiswalkingseemedmerelyacertainmovementofhisfeetbywhichhepushedhisstomachalonginfrontofhim。Trinatalkedwithhimafewmoments，butarrivedatnounderstanding，andthetwowentawayaftergivinghimtheiraddress。AtsupperthatnightMcTeaguesaid：
　　“Huh——whatdoyouthink，Trina？“
　　Trinaputherchinintheair，tiltingbackherheavytiaraofswarthyhair。
　　“Iamnotsosureyet。Thirty-fivedollarsandthewaterextra。Idon’tthinkwecanaffordit，Mac。“
　　“Ah，pshaw！“growledthedentist，“surewecan。“
　　“Itisn’tonlythat，“saidTrina，“butit’llcostsomuchtomakethechange。“
　　“Ah，youtalk’sthoughwewerepaupers。Ain’twegotfivethousanddollars？“
　　Trinaflushedontheinstant，eventothelobesofhertinypaleears，andputherlipstogether。
　　“Now，Mac，youknowIdon’twantyoushouldtalklikethat。
　　Thatmoney’snever，nevertobetouched。“
　　“Andyou’vebeensavunupagooddeal，besides，“wentonMcTeague，exasperatedatTrina’spersistenteconomies。“Howmuchmoneyhaveyougotinthatlittlebrassmatch-safeinthebottomofyourtrunk？Prettynearahundreddollars，I
　　guess——ah，sure。“Heshuthiseyesandnoddedhisgreatheadinaknowingway。
　　Trinahadmorethanthatinthebrassmatch-safeinquestion，butherinstinctofhoardinghadledhertokeepitasecretfromherhusband。Nowsheliedtohimwithpromptfluency。
　　“Ahundreddollars！Whatareyoutalkingof，Mac？I’venotgotfifty。I’venotgotTHIRTY。“
　　“Oh，let’stakethatlittlehouse，“brokeinMcTeague。“Wegotthechancenow，anditmaynevercomeagain。Comeon，Trina，shallwe？Say，comeon，shallwe，huh？“
　　“We’dhavetobeawfulsavingifwedid，Mac。“
　　“Well，sure，Isaylet’stakeit。“
　　“Idon’tknow，“saidTrina，hesitating。“Wouldn’titbelovelytohaveahousealltoourselves？Butlet’snotdecideuntilto-morrow。“
　　Thenextdaytheownerofthehousecalled。Trinawasoutathermorning’smarketingandthedentist，whohadnooneinthechairatthetime，receivedhiminthe“Parlors。“
　　Beforehewaswellawareofit，McTeaguehadconcludedthebargain。Theownerbewilderedhimwithaworldofphrases，madehimbelievethatitwouldbeagreatsavingtomoveintothelittlehouse，andfinallyofferedittohim“waterfree。“
　　“Allright，allright，“saidMcTeague，“I’lltakeit。“
　　Theotherimmediatelyproducedapaper。
　　“Well，then，supposeyousignforthefirstmonth’srent，andwe’llcallitabargain。That’sbusiness，youknow，“
　　andMcTeague，hesitating，signed。
　　“I’dliketohavetalkedmorewithmywifeaboutitfirst，“
　　hesaid，dubiously。
　　“Oh，that’sallright，“answeredtheowner，easily。“I
　　guessiftheheadofthefamilywantsathing，that’senough。“
　　McTeaguecouldnotwaituntillunchtimetotellthenewstoTrina。Assoonasheheardhercomein，helaiddowntheplaster-of-parismouldhewasmakingandwentoutintothekitchenandfoundherchoppinguponions。
　　“Well，Trina，“hesaid，“wegotthathouse。I’vetakenit。“
　　“Whatdoyoumean？“sheanswered，quickly。Thedentisttoldher。
　　“Andyousignedapaperforthefirstmonth’srent？“
　　“Sure，sure。That’sbusiness，youknow。“
　　“Well，whydidyouDOit？“criedTrina。“YoumighthaveaskedMEsomethingaboutit。Now，whathaveyoudone？
　　IwastalkingwithMrs。RyeraboutthathousewhileIwasoutthismorning，andshesaidtheHungariansmovedoutbecauseitwasabsolutelyunhealthy；there’swaterbeenstandinginthebasementformonths。Andshetoldme，too，“
　　Trinawentonindignantly，“thatsheknewtheowner，andshewassurewecouldgetthehouseforthirtyifwe’dbargainforit。Nowwhathaveyougoneanddone？Ihadn’tmadeupmymindabouttakingthehouseatall。AndnowIWON’T
　　takeit，withthewaterinthebasementandall。“
　　“Well——well，“stammeredMcTeague，helplessly，“weneedn’tgoinifit’sunhealthy。“