The National tribune., 1902-01-16

for his pOcket-book
What's you doin in this room, Boss
You hain't get no business here. This
hain't your roOm?" sad Babes" wItn
as much sternncSs as he could command
on his moony breadth of face.
This is my room; the boy brung me
here. You haint no business here
hens my things"
And the Deacon pointed to the striped
carpet sack and the hoop-skirts.
His thingsi o, the rascal" screamed
the slender elderly woman. ''I'he man S
thief, as well as an insulter of women!
Think of his impudence IN claiming my
baggage-claiming the things that I've
been around town all day selecting and
buying-Such bargains as / found. o,
it's just awful! Why, the mans got no
heart ut all. He has got no respect for
the sacredness of woman! He's just ter
ribler'
She made another attempt to faint in
the arms Of the young man in evening
dress, who avoided her, with his eyes
fixed on the poker-chips in the thick
necked mans hands.
Miss Abbott" said the housekecpe.
| firmly, Il must insist that you do no.
scream any more. Keep quiet.
not the first time you have had trouble
III this house. There must be SOME ms
| take. The gentleman looks ike Il kindly,
honest man, who would hot do harm to
any one"
No harml No harm to come into a
lone lady's room, go to sleep and snoring
| i'll her bed, and above all to claim the bar
gains she's worn herself out III getting:
Sobhed Miss Abbott. 20, my, what worse
could man dO?'
sit down there on that chair. Miss
Abbott, and keep quiet" said the house
keeper, taking her by the ann.
She gave IL glance at the chair, and
then louder shrek:
What, sit tneit-0n that mans
| clothes? Never III the world"
She rccOiied spaSmodicaiy from the
chair, over which the Deacon had thrown
his pantaloons.
his is my room, | tell you began
the DencOn Indignantly. Il was showed
/ III here. and ieftEmy things here, which
| you can see setting there. | went out to
get bite to ent,Hand | come back, ana
! found EN- there, sand'-
IF this is your room and them your
| things, you'll fnU,y. what s i'll the carpet
sack. won't yOu:i asked the thick-nccked
man. with the p0kerc chips III his hands,
who seemed To sympathize with Miss Alb
| bott, and who also fprlded himself on his
detective talents, -ak WAS natural in Il
smart poker-playcr. The best way to
settle that is to have you tell what's in
the carpet-sackI Well just open it. Let
me have your key lady"
III hold your chips for you, while
you're opening it, said the young man
an evening cluthes.
The thick-necked. man gave n sharp
glance at him, aad replied by stutIing the
checks into his own pockets, and hold NJ
out his hand for the key. Miss Abbott
hestnted. but The thck-necEed man seem
ed the only one really friendly to her, anu
she ought to fail in with his plan. SO
she handed him the key, with Il shuddeI
Il Il
robe to the profane gaze Of masculine
eyes.
The Deacon, sitting up in bed, looked
with calm confidence upon this tri-
umphGnt vindcatiOn.
You'll find IN there he sIid, three
white shirts, an undershiIt, two pair Of
WOODEN socks, bottle Of Sanford's Liver
Regulator, and
The month of the carpet-sack flew
open, and out rose "a cascade of white,
fluffy things, which struck the Deacon
with ama2cment and made Miss Abbott
give IL little scream and cover her bush
ing face with her hands.
We'll, YOU old rooster, what We you got
to say now?' Trinmphantly inquired the
rEick-necIied man. L ought to maui the
head of of you"
"All of you get cut of the room, and
let me get my parts on, and then you try
IT," answered the Deacon. Il tell you,
this is my room. HcIcs where the boy
hrung me-"
Better send for an officer. Don't be-
lieve | want to sJil my hands with him"
said the thicl-necked man, after Il fuller
study of the Dcacon's breadth of
shoulder.
'He ought to be hanged" sobbcd Miss
Abbott. Wanted to take all my bar
gains"
sirT
Certainly" answered the Deacon.
It's 1885. It's right there on the door"
Babes" said the housekccpcr, go
over to 1405 and see what's in there"
'-This'S what's in there" said Babes
coming back with Il striped carpet-sack
and hGop-skirt package
Gracious goodness. that's really my
carpct-sack," grasped the Deacon afamc
with shame and confusion.
Let me see what style that skeleton
is?" said Miss Abbott curiosity mo-
mentarily overcoming her raging indigna
ton. why, declare, if it isn't an
Empress Eugcnic,' the latest thing out |
read about it in the Bazaar, but /
couldn't find one in the whole town.
Where in the world did he find it?'
''As ] imagined" said the houSckeepcr |
More trouble with these stupid, old |
fashioned figures, that | have been com
planning about ever since l nave been in !
the house. ! never can get girl or Il
man that can read them right and the |
guests are constantly making mistakes /
have complained 20 times to the clerk |
about them, but he is so occupied with !
his own importance that he has no
thought for my troubles"
II think, Miss Abbott, the simplest |
way would be to have Babes take your
things over to 149j, and you occupy that |
room tonight
''Whatr' shrieied Miss Abbott, soc
cupy room that's on the books in the |
name Of a man? Scandalous! What can |
you think of me-"
Il think you are tiresGme old trump, |
who has trouble every time you come |
here. and | think you hunt it, in order to
have something TO tell when you get back |
home," said the hOusekeeper inwardly. |
Then aloud: a.y
Il can see no possible harm. But some
women cannot be too careful. Others
have regulations which render it unneces-
sary. Very well, if you insist, you'll /
20 down in the parlor and wait until this
gentleman can dress, and go to his own
room, and the maids can change the
linen"
What, occupy a room from which n
man has just gomez shrieked Miss Alb
bott. Never! What stories might be
started about when | came in, and when
he went out? Never! l must have a
room that's not been contaminated by a
mans presence.
"WelI, he-heaven may have an attic
set apart exclusively for old maids" said