The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-15
TIE WOMAN-UP-STAIRS.
Some Pleasant Features of Flat Life In a
Great City.

d
Great City.
CNew York Tmes.)
''W-h-e-w, whew!" the janitress
whistled, and, as usual the tenants
flew to obey her summons.
'G-a-r-b-a-g-e!" sha sang through
the tube, and the woman-up-stairs
opened the dumbwaitar door and snap
pishly remarked:
I hope you're late enough this
morning"
oh, that's all roight," replied the
jarttors wife easily, as the savory pail
slid down on the dumbwaiter.
Look here" said the woman-up
stairs, when is that man coming to
see about my gas range? l told you
three weeks ago that 1 couldn't bake
thing with that stove, ana il I have
TO put up with that another week I'll
leave this house. ] will not stand it."
sure, I'll till the landlord about it
Whin | sees him next"
When will that be?"
'Oh, mebbe tomorrer, mebbe mkt day.
an msbbe mkt weak
Inc woman up stairs shut the door
with bang, which caused the baby
IN the fiat below to exercise its vocal
organs vigorously for the next hour.
Three days after this conversation
the landlord made his appearance,
smiling blandly
Coed morning. You're having trou-
Die with your gas range, I believer"
'"rrouble!" repeated the ,rate tenant
scornfully, why, I can't do anything
with it, My bread is burned on the
potion and raw on top my biscuits are
IKE bullets, the roast is half done, the
pie crust IS like lead, the steak is
burned on the outside and purple in
side, the mullins
Yes, yes" said tho landlord hastily.
I'll step out and look at it,"
he was escorted to the region of the
kitchen, where the woman-up- stairs
watched him as he carefully inspected
the stove, turning the burners on and
off. Finally he turned to her and sooth-
ingly remarked:
Guess you don't understand how to
use it" "
This was setting match to gun
powder. Don't. eh7 Wen, the ianit0r
showed me; his wife showed me; the
gas man showed me- and, having the
average amount of common sense"
Yes, yes, I'll send the gas man
down tomorrow - quickly responded the
landlord, making a wild break for fho
door ''i'
Two weeks later the gas man an
peared. 1t took all his strength TO walk
up the front steps, so he gave a. fee
bic knock at the door (the bell was
out Of order) and set His bag down 10
wait for the woman-up-st
Gas stoVe?' he growled as she
opened the door
Yes; come right in" she said sweat
~ Shall I have it brought into the
parior or will you step into the kitch
With a groan of fatigue the gas man
litted his bag and slowly followed her
tnrousn the hall. For five minutes he
did little else than gaze a the range
Then he opened his bag.
Leaks" he remarked briefly.
thought So said the woman-un-
stairs up
He cleaned out the stove and turned
a few screws. At the end of thirty
minutes he departed. telling the Wo-
man Upstairs that t. was Gan right
now" As he passed out the front door
and down the steps he mrttered 'i
Stop that leak? Guess NOT! Means
90 cents a week more TO the company .
with a sigh of thankfulness Tho
Woman-up- stairs told him when no
came home that night that the gae
range had been fixed and next morning
ne Snoulu nave some lovely biscuits fof.
breakfast. She went to bed that even
ing with light heart and rose early
the next morning. Then she carafulIy-
brushed up the pieces of stucco which
mad descended upon the bed from the
ceiling during the night, and proceed
ing gayiy to the kitchen, she made the
biscuits which were to be ideal. Vain
hope; they differed in no respect from
their 2redecessors and, Is a last re-
sort she had the gas range carefully
conveyed to the landlord. and a neT-
one tbought at her own EXPENSE took
it's place.
This done, she called the attention Of
the janitress to the marble bowl in the
bathroom, which needed mendng; the
window fastenings, which were miss
ing; the ''Candlesticl1s, which should
but did not, adorn the chandeliers: the
radiators, which needed reglldiug. the
door bell, which had lost its voice. and
numberIess other little things. and re-
marked pathetically TO him:
And they said when we moved in
that the fiat was in perfect repair. I'm
sure it ought to be when they ask such
an enormous rent"
Then he took his turn and. calling
the janitress, he delivered a thrilling
Grafton through the open door of the
dumbwaiter. He concluded thus:
And If every one Of these things is
not Temedicd by next Thursday we
leave this house and if you don't tell
this TO the landlord today I'll complain
of you"
"Shure, an We needn't bother wild
that" replied the janitor's wife. calm
ly Me an Moike are goin' to give up
this place by Thursday anyway. We've
got another house, wild better pay, and
this wan don't shoot us, If l hey tonne
Til tell Moike to till the landlord to
till the man to hev il done"
This conversation took place on a
Saturday about $40 a. m. The follow
ing Tuesday morning large placard
appeared in the front window of the
fiat occupied by the woman upstairs. |
This sign contained the novel words
Flat to let. Inquire Of janitor"
"Take mp the white mans burden"
And the noble savage strobe
To the nearest bar that came i'm sight
A i l..