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。“