The Monitor-register., 1896-05-15

don't do nothing but firt outrage
ously with every shallow pate he meets"
"Yes." assented / quietly; ''that's
what Miss Madge says; he's her step
father, / believe"
"The most cars.free man l know IT."
the dekin resumed, with a grunt of dis
satisfaction, sis the man whose wimmen
folks recognize and appropriate their
rights. And that reminds me-" he con-
clnded, with a tired gesture, shat /
must go down and see that architect and
builder or L. street-see if she won't
take the contract for that new kitchen
we're going to have built; I'd rather have
a woman around that's got her rights
any time than a man."
When the dekin got back his step was
slow and his mien uneasy, and he never
spoke a word for a whole hour, and then
ne says, with his gaze out the window:
"They want a janitor at the Common
veal row of flats, Saphrona; some one
who can keep the building clean from
top to bottom, attend to renting all them
hats as they become vacant, and at the
same time be capable of putting in a
pane of glass in case of ~breakage. keep
the furnaces going and the ashes emptied,
and replace the tin roof if it should blow
off,"
"Well9" responded 1. indifferently.
well WE'LL" stammered Peletire,
hesitatingly. II proposed your name."
my sakes!" says l, in icy tones OF
dismay. "My sakesp' 1 couldn't say no
more, and my blood froze in my veins as
said that.
Its too bad. Saphrona," resumed the
dekin, c~onsolingly, "I was a little too
late. But" with a nod across the street,
she would have got it anyhow; she be-
longs to the carpenters union, and cor.
sequently had an inside pull through the
possibilities of the compass and the
square-she told 'em, with all the rest.
she could put in a new floor if it was
necessary. Beside, she's young and
pretty-it's the youngest daughter, you
know-and would look a great deal
better putting on a tin roof than you
would. By the way she talks about
ogres, and miters, air bases and NOR
tisses, l guess likely she's a past grand
high ben duke de cock. o-lo.rem in the
Woman's Rights League, Ssphrona;
you'll get there after a while, old girl.n
l, too, looked across the street, and see
an indistinct, masculine form lolling be-
hind the sweeping vines, at the same time
that see a hardware wagon, containing
q great laundry stove, back. up to the
side gate. Two men sprung out of the
wagon, and, by dint of straining and
grunting, contrived to get the great mass
OF iron as far as the steps, but here they
could get no farther, lift and try as they
might.
While they passed, with the rear EN-
resting on the bottom step, l says t
Peletire,-
COI COubClOuCo bdAc! OOhlu OPdVlt
do go,oyer there and tend a helping han,
SO as to put an end to that wicked pr,
family" +,
"Saphrona Maria retorted Peletir
with a fearful wink, as he settled himse
back firmly in his chair, ''do you thin
Pm a foolT"
At this critical epoch the door opene
and out come the little woman, VIII
grasped the situation on the instant. 'Th
next she was down on the bottom steI
with back bent and both small hand
lifting beneath the under surface of tina
stove, which thus began to move slowl
upward to the second step, and on up t
the third-the little woman going back
ward all the way up-and across tn
threshold, till she was out of sight.
Then me and Dekin SPAWN looked int
each others eyes. but nothing was sal,
till Peletire says, nonchalantly:
"Another of her rights, Sapbrona; thi
Woman's Rights business is the RICH
thing in the right place, after all. Jus
like cream on Strawberries"
Says I, as 1 shook my finger wrathfull!
toward the rose.wreathed pillars across
the way:
eff l had a husband like that I'd-well
l guess I'd shoot him."
"Saphrons," remarked the dekin, ir
reverently, ''your adorable Mr.. Seafortf
has been here half a dozen times sine,
you went to the hospital; he says HI
hopes he may have the pleasure o
accompanying you to the League thil
evening"
l guess it was four O'Clock next morn
ing when a regular, steady thump, thump
somewhere broke in on my slumbers
Springing to my feet hastily, l peepet
through the blind, to see my little neigh
Dor across the street, standing before &
great Brussels carpet, that was thrown
over a line, plying the carpet beatel
she held In both hands, thump, thump
thump.
Says the dekin, with a weary yawn, al
he gazed over my shoulder:
"That beats all, Saphrona Maria; ]
didn't never know what women meant
when they talked about their rights
before"
At this point an impatient masculine
voice called out harshly, from some
where's invisible:
"Great Cicerol Hannah Helene, dom
you know any better than to get up suct
an Internal racket in the middle of thu
night?"
Immediately the beater was thrown
aside, and by might and main that stiff,
heavy carpet was drawn off the line, and
then the little woman proceeded to clear
it by shaking it vigorously by eact
| corner, thus reducing the noise to a mini
mum.
"Dekin SPAWN" says |, resolutely, at
Peletire proceeded to return to his pillow
"I'm going over to help that little woman
and if l had time I'd lynch the man,
and call it all a good job"
"If you need any backing, Saphrona
| Maria" remarked Peletire, heartily, az
he winked one eye wickedly, 'call or
| me-"
Whether the Dekin meant backing or
the carpet shaking or backing on the
| lynching, I could not tell.
Two minutes later l was keeping stroke
| with the little woman at the opposite
corner of that heavy carpet, and wher
| she got the dust all out she came over tc
me. with both trembling hands out
stretched, and she says, says she, with a
tremor in her voice and great tears in hel