The Progress., 1893-09-09


was Fan of the Teeth, few hints on
the best management of firos and the
proper care OF the room, which the
fellow-servant was even then sup
posed to be cleaning9
"y0d see, II al means more work
for you in the end said my aunt.
dashed into the sitting-room to
find, helpless with suppressed laugh
/ ter, the maiden with the black velvet
hat | was coatless, as has been re-
counted (peOple never stay long with
a man who lacks a coat. my hair
was on end and | was flushed. But
there was no resisting that infection
of mirth. ! laughed aloud. The air
was dense with dust and all the furni-
ture was out of place. That fool of
a housemaid' had lived up to her
reputation.
Haven't | done the room beauti-
fully?" she said, with a wicked
giggle; thank you-thank YOU, oh,
50 much, for helping me"'
Not in the least" said l; 1--we
got a sister of my own. But hadn't
you better"
'rm gone" she said, and vanished
at the word, to hunt for her brothers
chambers.
Entered. her cap over one eye, Fan
of the Teeth, boiling with rage She
was an austere woman of thirty-fve,
not to be trihed with.
And I'm sure me and Lucy, too,
we takes all the trouble that we can
with seventeen sets of chambers to
be gone through. and the bells ring
ing on every landing all day long.
'Tisn't as if was afraid of my work,
for ave KEEP myself ever since l
was a little girl of thirteen-nOr
Lucy, neither. But when that lady
on the staircase spoke to me an tole
me that | was inattentive an Lucy,
too, an smuts all about your room,
sayin' that / was to take extra care
of you, sir, | was put out. Do as
you would be done by. thinks, an
show no favor to any chambers more
than another, for some one must lose
by it; and if it isn't you, it will be
IL.
aren't no smuts in your room not to
be seen. an Lucy, | know she as
been on the fourth floor since | come
down with the slops; but | didn't say
nOthink to that lady when she said
what she said-and, LOr', sir what
ave you bin doin to the furnichewre
all pulled across the room? Lucy
'asn't been ere no more than the cat
An you 'avin to see your friends in
your bedrO N-as if it was our fault!"
Fanny" said /, ''if there has been
any fault, that fault is mine. Take,
oh take those lips away, and-here's .
a half-sovereign."
1t was a damning confession of .
guilt, received as such. Fan removed .
herself with an unholy light in her
eye.
Reentered Fan. the half-sovereign
in her hand, and placed it on my
table.
1--we took them in their teas" she
said, Oracularly; IAN she was tellin'
i'm all about it. She is real nice
little lady, she is, an'-an' l don't
want no 'arf-suffering for that"
No comedy that l could think of
had any mention of the soubrette-to
be sure, Fan was rather too angular
'or the Notwithstanding a tip
land you're lady, too Fam" said
L Keep it. Few people return
money. Still fewer dismiss precon-
,eived suspicious"
She withdrew slightly alarmed.
l stepped into the hallway to set
lown the empty soda-water syphon
n the place appointed. The door
eading to the landing was half-open.
heard voices descending the stairs.
HE was really very nice, Joe,
lbout it. Said he had sister of his /
,wn and laughed"
"H'mp. Then I'm sorry for his
lister, that's all. He drinks like a .
ish. Why, only last night 1 found
Tim on his hands and knees on the
ecOnd floor, and had to help him to {
,ed."
The next chambers! AS l hope to 1
lear my character before all judges, ,
t was the man in the next chambersi Z
had heard the Internal din CT that {
pisode at 2 o'clock in the morning, 9
nd a few Of Joe's comments as he |
eft the drunkard. How should the {
maiden know exactly into whose q
ooms she had penetrated? and here I
Tas Joe saddling me with my neigh '
or's booted slumbers. @
| gripped the syphon-head in an C
gony of wrath. The steps were Y
lmost opposite my landing. There i
Tas more soda-water than / had
bought for in the tube, and the in
ernal concoction exhausted itself
18th a fizzle, spit, and grunt. 1t a
eemed to roar through the house. S
There" said Joe "You hear, t
lilly? That's soda-water syphon.
les at it again-so early" \
But he didn't look as if he took" i
he sweet voice died away, and l t
'aS alone with my sorrow and NV 9