The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-10-13
VOICES IN THE SHAFT.
Some Passages In Diplomacy and
Comments by the Tenants ON
the Absent Ones.

81 should never have known anything
about the spread of information up and
down the elevator shaft" said the top
fiat woman, 'if my housekeeper had not
gone away on vacation and had not
been trying TO convince my small cut
picturesque family that scrambled eggs
and fried potatoes contain all the hy-
dro-carbons and proteids and all the
rest of the really important features of
a square meal. l missed the beginning
Of the conversation, but it seemed to
be the case that after the ashes had
been sent down the second-foor lady
improved the opportunity to assure the
first-foor lady that she thought that
the woman on the third floor intended
to be away over September also, and
here she was back at the end of August,
and probably it was because her money
had run out. 1t is an interesting con-
tribution to philology that seems to
have escaped Prof. Basil Gildersleeve
and the other learned lights at Johns
Hopkins that in such air and elevator
shafts conversations the person adj
dressed is always lady and the per-
son under discussion is always the
woman of such and such a fiat.
"'Tbat's very likely rejoined the
first-foor lady. And they say she
drinks like fish, too. The janitor tells
me that as soon as it gets dark she
rushes the can something awful, and he
ought to know, because she called him
down for taking pull at it when it
came in at the front door,
"'What shame it is,' said the sec
ond-foor. L always say if you can't
have your grocer send you half dozen
bottles you ought to bring the growler
in at the cellar and send it up the ele-
vator. You've no call to bring it in
the front way and give the apartments
q bad name. You might just as well
with it. 1 pity that poor girl of hers
that she sends out with the tin. It's a
shame, that's what it is.'
"But here the shaft door of the third
floor opened and the lady under dis
cussion was prepared to take ii share in
the debate.
"'Good morning to both of you be-
low she said. I'm just back from the
sea, and I'm mighty glad to get back,
l can tell you. l was at a place where
you couldn't get any beer for love nor
money. So I'm glad to be back in my
own home again, where I can have
what I want and when 1 want it, and
nobody's business. And was hearing
what you was saying just now about
the woman that lives on top of me. She
must be getting worse. l didn't know
it was that bad with her that she was
in the way of chasing the duck up the
front stairs. But then you ought to be
charitable. Sure it's more than once
that both of yous have sent up to me in
the evening, and never asked whether
the grocer had failed to bring it or
whether yous had drunk it all up dur
ing the day and had none left, though a
dozen of beer is pretty big swig be-
fore dark comes, and then 1 never
thought anything about sending out
the can, just SOS to be neighborly. But
I'm sorry to hear what you do be say
ing about the woman above, such a de-
cent woman in appearance, too, and she
doesn't put on any airs, even though
she does have cook and calls her a
housekeeper.'
"Indeed, we have much to thank you
for,' said the second floor. Excuse me,
ma'am,' to the first floor, 4 didn't no.
tice that you was talking. Go on,
please
"'Oh, never mind me, ma'am,' re-
piled the first floor. 4 wasn't going to
say anything in particular, only what
you was saying, too. But it's a shame
that the lady couldn't get her beer in
the country, after the doctor had told
her that she must build herself up. 1t
would be well if all folks was as tenn
perate in what they drink as she is.
She's an ornament to the apartments,
and not like some that would make you
think they never lived but in tene-
ments where they rush the growler in
at the front door and never think any
thing of it. It's a shame, and if the
janitor doesn't do something surely
some one should speak to the agent
about it. would myself, only don't
want to remind him that the Septem-
ber rents DUE
"TrHe for you, ladies' said the third
floor lady. 4 have to be very temperate
ip my condition of health; the doctor
tells Inc must. It's a big stroke of for
tune that l cant get drunk; not bit
of it. Sure, the first pint that goes to
my mouth 1t goes to my head, that it
does. Then l want more, us course. as
who wouldn't? Then they give Ine but
termilk or any old thing, and never
know the differ; it's all one to me. It's
n great blessing, indeed it is. But the
poor woman upstairs-Ill have to speak
to her, and she such lady, and with a
housekeeper, too IN. Y. Sun.
Cheese Pancakes.