Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-23


could see the professor standing near the
window of his room shaving himself
After finishing this operation he combed
his hair very carefully, and then spent ten
minutes in tying his scarf. That over, he
lighted cigar and sat at the window.
At l o'clock short, stout woman of
middle age came down the street. She
reached the professors house, glanced at
the number and then at a slip of paper in
her hand. Then she went in. Less than
minute later the door opened, and out she
came blazing with wrath, strobe up the
street at full speed and was lost to view.
This woman was hardly out of sight
when another came down the street. She
was matronly looking woman, with blue
eyes and face, according to McManus,
that wouldn't scare sparrow" Just as
she reached the door Mrs. Wallace came
out of the house. McManus had taken up
a position in the adjoining doorway and
overheard the following:
"Does Professor Watkins live hereP"
"Yes'mn
"Wh--what kind of a man is her"
"He's a colored man." (Grin.)
"Wh-whatf'
"If you mean Mistah Watkins, who calls
himself professor of calciminin and white
WdSulu, ttltk WuO WttutS d DOuSeKecDor, L
can inform you that he's a colored person."
said the colored housekeeper, with great
dignity.
lumps) mean to say th-th-that a nigger
p-p-put that advertisement in the news
paper?"
81 said a colored person" with more dig
nity).
"Wait till get policeman"
The matronly woman strobe off quiver-
ing with rage, but she never came back.
For the next two hours women continued
to come-old women and young women,
tall women and short women, lean women
and fat women, blonds and brunettes; some
poorly dressed, some clad in stylish splen.
dor. Not one of them boosted African
blood. And every one of them was turned
back by the housekeeper, who guarded the
honor of her house.
All this time Professor Watkins sat at
his window unconscious of the storms that
ragged in SO many female breasts. About
clock he came down stairs.
McManus called to him, and the pro-
fessor came dejectedly across the street.
"Been some ladies here to see you," Nc
Manus said roguishly.
"Wh-where? Wh-when? Wh-wh"--
Don't get excited, old man. They
learned you were colored and they went
away"
''That's tough, amt its" exclaimed the
professor, with wounded vanity. "IfI I'd a
had chance to talk to 'em'--
"Don't say word" hurriedly inter-
riedly interrupted McManus There's
two more coming down the street."
Sure enough, two women were approach
ing. They were tall and rather good look
ing, and the nearer they came to the pro-
fessor's house the deeper grew the expires
sion of disgust on their faces. The pro-
fessor crossed the street, stroking his
goatee. He saw that one of the women
held piece of newspaper in her hand.
He doffed his hat and bowed.
McManus can best tell what follows:
The perfesser had a dicer on, and when
he bowed I thought I'd die laughin. Sez-
zee. Ladies, r. ye lookin fer Perfesser
Wadkinsr Yes sez they. That's me-
sez the perfesser. You Perfesser Wad-
kins, sez one o. de ladies. De perfesser
grinned md sez: Yes, dat's my name.
VIZ lookin fer nice housekeeper.' Den
one o. de ladies kinder screamed, md she
up widder umbrella and banged de per-
fesser on de dicer. De perfesser made
break, but de udder lady goddim by de
coat and grabbed him by de t'roat. Den
de first lady she banged i'm all over de
head md she jest lambasted d. life out O.
de poor nigger. De lady wot had hold NV
i'm tried to scratch i'm in de eyes, md de
perfesser gave tug md got loose. Den,
b'jee, he run fer de river, md amt seen
i'm since.'
According to McManus, Mrs. Wallace
and the other ncighbors, at least forty
women applied for the vacant housekceper-
ship that day. The professor SAW only
two, but be does not regret thst rs much
as he did.--New York Sun