, 1876-08-27
A WO1IAN'S STRATAGEM.

| HOW CLEVER WOMAN KEEPS HER LITTLE BACI
| BEDROOM LET.
| What the keeper Of a clearinghouse doesn'
| know about business isn't worth knowing
| There is one elderly lady on West Washington
street, for instance, who let's small, meanl.
| furnished and most uncomfortable back bed
room for $40 a week, and it is never empty
| though 1t has new occupant every week. Thi:
is her modus opcrnndi: When the victim,
young man, presents himself she receives him
assisted BY her daughter, and says:
Really, am most sorry, but do not think
that have single room vacant"
Here the daughter breaks in: s'Mamma
dear, the little back bedroom in the third-story
Yon know, is"
"Hush, my love, hush; you know I never let
those back rooms except to married people OF
ladies. am mother myself and girls will be
girls" she adds, to the intending lodger.
He doesn't understand what she is driving at
and shows as much by stare of blank amaze.
ment. Then the good old lady continues:
"4Almena, my dear, will you kindly go and
see that the cook docs not oyerdo those canvas
backs, and tell her to be sure and put the SIS
brandy in the mince-meat. exit Almcna) Our
table, Mr.. Snifkins, is 3 plain family one, but |
like to have the necessarics of life OF passablc
quality. AS said, am mother myself and
vas delicate about speaking of the subject be-
fore my daughter"
"Yes, maan,," !" but without the rcmotcst idea
Of her meaning.
1.-THE fact Is with blush) the window OF
that back room commands view Of the rear OF
Miss Slimmius' Educational Institute for Young
mother yourself, sometimes the young ladies
are careless about leaving their lights burning
in the evening, and, besides, in fine weather they
take their calisthenic exercises In the garden,
such as swinging on the parallel bars, battoute
jumping, throwing h2ndsprings, and SO on.
this Ia mart of Il mO6ern Af111rafirn h1,t
when was q girl and went to school am sure
we never dreamed of doing ANYTHING OF the kind,
but then times change"
'les, yes; but YOU were saying" says the
young man, who finds that she is wandering.
SWELL, as I was saying, il my daughter were
to be at school, Of course I, knowing what is to
be q mother, should not like her to be watched
in her hours Of recreation by any young man
who was stranger to her, however excellent
his princlplcs.''
The young man murmurs that this does equal
honor to her head aud heart. She continues:
"And SO, though you are not a mother your
self, you can appreciate my motives in declining
to let those back rooms to any but married peo-
pie or ladies.''
The young man argues that be belongs to the
7. H. G. A., and is engaged, and pledges his So
cred honor that he will entertain all bis visitors
in the parlor, and not betray the lady's conf
close, and stutfy, the back rail is off the wash
stand, also one Ut the doors, the chair has a
broken back, and the only ornaments are u
stoye-pipc hole, some used matches, condemn
ed shirt-col1ar, and toothbrush But he praises
its neatness and comfort, and pays q weeks
board in advance. All afternoon he is the SUBJ
iect Of plcasurable excitement, aud he
hurries home 1t 6 o'clock, has
tily swallows half his ration of
tea and hash and skfps upstairs and cautiously
looks out OF the window. There is the board
ing-school, massive building, and there is
spacious garden, but the windows of the former
are not filed with beautiful damsels just bud
ding into womanhood, neither is the latter
crowded with female gymnasts in Kntckcrbock-
crs and striped stockings. No smoke issues
from the chimney.. Happy thought! OF course
it is vacation time Wonders when school reus-
semblcs. Wouldn't do to ask the old woman,
OF course, because she'd smell mice. Happy
thought, again! Ask q policeman. He goes
out and finds patro1man leaning against q
lamp-post.
"Say, officer, when does that big girls board
ing school meet againt"
"What big girls boarding school, young fel-
Ier!''
'tThat one over on Randolph street, yondern
40, that amt no boardipg-scnool. It used to
be piano-fact0ry, but there's been nothing
there for the last eighteen months.''
At the end Of the week that young man
leaves but within the next twenty-four hours
The old lady has set her trap and captured an
other one. And yet they say that the female !
sex docs not deserve the ballot!