“Poor dear,” she reflected tenderly, “what a place for a tired business man—­a home with two assorted wives waiting for him every night.”

But when it came to looking about, to her surprise Ethel found it hard, on her own account, to make the move.  For with all its faults and drawbacks, this was the place where she had struggled, groped and dreamed, had married Joe and discovered him in hours she would never forget, and here her baby had been born.  The place had grown familiar.  Even the huge building, for all its appearance of being exactly like every other on the street, had in some curious fashion taken on for Ethel a special atmosphere of its own; and coming back from a bleak succession of apartments she had inspected, this did at least seem more like a home.

Joe came to her rescue.  He was a part owner here, and with delight she learned from him that a large and sunny apartment at the top of the building was to be free the first of May.  Ethel went up to see it at once.  And the arrangement of the rooms, and the way the sun flooded into each one, made her exclaim with pleasure.

The present tenants were a young widow and her companion, a most respectable elderly dame.  The widow was about Ethel’s age and excessively pretty and stylish, and in her low sweet voice and her manner was a peculiar attractiveness that Ethel could not analyse.  She explained that she was going abroad, possibly to be gone a year, or she never would have given up this gem of an apartment.  She seemed more than glad to show Ethel about, and displayed a friendly interest in her visitor’s eager planning.  When Ethel left at the end of an hour, the widow smiled at her and said, with a charming little hesitation: 

“I don’t think you have my name.  It’s Mrs. Grewe.  I do hope you’ll come up whenever you like, and let me help you all I can.  I shall so love to feel when I go that you and your kiddies will be here.  I’ve noticed them so often, down-stairs and in the elevator.  And they’re both such darlings.”

And at that, with a thrill of pride, Ethel felt almost as though she had found a friend in the city at last.

They saw each other frequently, for Ethel was always running in to look through the various rooms and puzzle and decide on curtains, rugs and portieres.  In this she was aided more than she knew by the taste displayed in the furnishings, rich, subdued and yet so gay, that young Mrs. Grewe had collected here.  The two had animated talks, and once when her new acquaintance suggested, “I’d be so glad if I could be of some help in your shopping,” Ethel replied, “Oh, you could!  I’d love to have you!” And they started in that day.