The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-23
A BASEMENT STAIRWAY.

never MIND where the J6nkl0SeS got
Gladys They got her. all right. and they
we're glad with an exceeding great glad
ness, for she was that rarest Of all do
nestle achievements model servant
! Servant 1t was hardly fair TO look upon
her in that sense. for she was fair 10
see. plump, too, neat without gauds. z
| wholesome presence radiating calm cheer.
Her voice was neither loud nor coarse. but
| dulcet ike the sweet. insistent COO OF the
! BIRDS She moved with grace and IN
| studied precision under such perfect dis
cipiine were all her muscles and man
| ners- She could be grave without gloom
/ and CHEEKY without cachination.
When DR.. Jenkins came down in the
| morning. found his muffin actually hot
his peaches skinned" his coffee steam
ing and his toast crisp, he would look
| deprecatingly at Mrs jenkins, as if 10
say: "Oh. weak. unworthy man that I
am. I do not deserve all OF these in
credible perTections." But when Gladys.
DEAR graceful. gentle. gliding Gladys.
came in at the door, mincing softly across
the rug to pull off the fruit plates and
porridge bowls. the edited doctor could
not help pinching himself 10 prove that
il was not all dream. There was some
thing SO comfortable about her familiar
figure Fat2 Not exactly. Let US call
il "embonpoint' all in one word. TO en-
hance the impression of completeness,
solidity, substantial symmetry that dis
tinguished her Incompatible personality.
Not that Mrs. Jenkins didn't lay many
wary trap for Gladys. Married women
OF ten years experience with servants
find ii hard TO realize such concentra-
ton Of every virtue in a domestic. Some
times cracked piece of cut glass found
its way among the dishes. Mrs ]. wanted
T. see how Gladys would handle it; or.
Il she I rOke Il. whether she would hide
the pieces and lie out Of IL, or whether
she would do what no servant was ever
before known to do--tell the truth about
II. explain the circumstances and regret
the accident with frank composure. But
it seemed as though Gladys just couldn I
break anything In her deft hands the
frailest bits Of dresden and thin crystal
seemed as if in nest of down. She never
broke anything, never scratched anything.
never misplaced anything. Neither the
doctor nor his wife ever missed any
thing. Stealthy efforts on the part of
DR.. -enkins to establish a system of sly
Irritation with the comely maid failed
utterly, and he began to appreciate the
sanity eXultation OF her character.
In vain Mrs. Jenkins watched for evil
dences Of a beau. of company in the
kitchen or surreptitious correspondence;
OF any signs of those innumerahle weak
nesses which beset girls as well as wo-
men and men in more fortunate sta
tions. Gladys had none of them. She
was, indeed, a model, and Mrs. Jenkins
became the envy of all the housewives
Of her acquaintance. She boosted Of
Gladys, and even invited an extraOrdi-
nary number Of friends to dine, pass the
day or the night. But such impositions
upon her industry and good nature did
not ruffle the imperturable sweetness of
this matchlessly amiable girl. She even
made special efforts to please the Visi-
tors; her winsome smile was even more
serene and incessant; she seemed swifter
and more noiseless; the service which she
rendered seemed TO be the masterful work
Of a score, instead of a pair, of well
trained hands 1t was Marvellous That's
what it was, marvellous,
But the supreme test came when Mrs
J. limited one day TO the attentive Gladys
that there might be an addition TO the
family If you're a housewife, or a do
nestle lord. you know what that usual
ly means to the exacting and much
tried servants of these modern days A
baby. A new. squalling, laundry-worl-
ing, bath-demanding. night blooming
stomach-aching kid And only one ser
want in the house after the trained nurse
goes, You know what they all say, don't
you? But Gladys never batted an eye
lash.
oh. that viii make no difference. Mis-
tress Jenkins" she said. I'm so fond of
babies. I'm sure the little dear viii be
no trouble whatever
And Mrs. Jenkins, scarcely trusting
her delighted ears. could have fallen on
the sweet girls neck and wept for Joy
And Gladys made good her promise
She became devoted to the baby. and
when the nurse was gone and the work
seemed doubled. this inimitible Gladys
pursued the smooth and even tenor of her
way with smiling and tranquil content
one night IN the early weeks OF Septem-
Der Dr. jenkins was awakened by a vol
ley of staccato screams. issuing. appar-
emily, from some spot inside his house
He leaped 70 the floor. babe his scared
wife stay quiet with their child, and light
ing the gas as ne went descended into
the kitchen whence the repeated and aug
mented shrilling proceeded. At one end
o. the kitchen, part-tioned from the ROOM
was narrow. very narrow. staircase
leading 70 the basement. The door was
open. and when DR. Jenkins lighted the
Sas jet on the landing and looked down
he saw pair of very plump legs. prop
ehly encased in neat hosiery and shoes
but otherwise in a very embarrassing
wholly uncomfortable and almost terri
tying state Of agitation. The owner of
the limbs was standing on her head. and
Of the staircase and an immense bun
die. The doctor tried TO pun her out. but
failed Then. to the impelling screams or
the cached woman, or girl. he let himself
out Of the kitchen door. ran nown 70 the
basement back door, and into the laun-
dry. upon which the inside kitchen stairs
opened. Once there and The gas lighted
he had no difficulty il Selling hold OF
the bundle which was fastening the I'M
happy creature. and ne pulled ii our with
q vigorous jerk.
Silver plate rare china. fewelhy. costly
dress goods. priceless books. three fine
watches, silk hosiery, imported gowns.
every portable thing OF value that had
been in his house. fell clattered, smashed
and Uttered across the aoor But the
woman. the victim Of this strange disas-
ter. the plump hut perturbed female sit
ting tearfulIy in the middle OF the ce-
ment floor. whom. think you. Il was the
dumfounded doctor gazed upon7
GLADYS
Thus at one fell and mighty fail. tuq1-
bled this eidolon Of the house q jenkins
this unequalled treasure. this queen q
help wanted. 1nis paragon Of domestic
economy. grace. gentieness and giorsded
servitudc.
Ard as she rose painfully 10 her feet
and without a word iinpsd ruefully out
into the dark emptiness Of the night. tn
doctor picked up one ~ the smashed
watches. gazed 81 It with doubtiag lack
iustre eyes. and said. very wisely. II IS .
o'clock And then. Jess wisely but more
vigorously: This Is heli.7
JOHN Il RAFTERT.