The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-12-13
Gee" she explained as she handed over

Exactly. my dear young lady Please
come into the parlor. IL has been a
beautiful day. hasn't it, You are then
obliged TO take a mental position. are
you:"
I'm a cook. sir. and n good one"
Yes YES. but in a way that Is q me-
NAL position From your general ap-
pearance / should say that you had
seen better days. l pity those who
have once had every luxury and cult
waited surroundings. but through mis-
fortune have been thrown out upon the
cold. selfish world 10 take care OF
themselves. However,
Il have always worked, sir" replied
the girl. land IL your wife Is in I'd like
to see her"
81 see. Yes. Ny wife is in. but IN
fortunately she knows nothing about
employing heip-that is, she has no
| sympathy with them"
And who's asking for sympathy,
sir: l want SIC a month for doing my
work. and I'm not expecting the lady
of the house to be weeping over me.
| If your wife Is not in
But she is in, only ! prefer to IN
| gage q girl myself. Later on she viii
show you the kitchen and tell you
what is expected of you. This is a
| place, / am glad to inform you, where
we have a girls welfare at heart. AT
least l do. While you may temporarily
be occupying a mental position, l want
you to know that l realize you have
feelings, the same as / have"
That's very kind of you, indeed"
sneered the girl.
into the kitchen to speak a word Of
] cheer to you"
| "Oh, you will"
"And let you know that you are not
forgotten in your solitude. Do you love
to read? My library is open to you.
and l shall take great pleasure In Sc
lecting the kind of literature you ought
to read. Dc you love music? II so.
there is the piano in the back parlor.
I shall have no objections to your 60
ing out Of an evening, but 1 shall want
to be sure of the character Of your
company. l shall feel myself in a sense
responsible for you. you know"
"What sort Of a shanty do you call
this anyway asked the girl as she
began to back off.
"Shanty: Shanty? Ny dear young
LADY,
"Tm not a young lady"
"Then, my dear young woman, I am
surprised at your language"
And l am at yours. l am sent here
to see the lady of the house n take a
| place as cook. but l meet you, and you
begin to chin-chin a lot of nonsense.
Don't take me for a spring chicken.
sir"
You came here to get q place as
cook, and l am going to hire you,'
answered Mr.. Bowser.
Not unless l see your wife. and
maybe not then. If 1 stop in this
house you don't come Ginning around
the kitchen, and o can make up your
mind to that"
"Chinning. My dear young woman,
while Mrs. Bowser grinds the cook un.
der her iron heel. | seek to elevate and
cheer her. / was simply telling you
that you should find q home here
some one to take an interest in you
some one to s~ympathiZe and encour.
| age. You mistake me, it appears"
"Oh, no / don't" replied the girl. 81
want no old rooster buZzing around my
| kitchen, ana it would be none of your
business about my company. When
l can't take care Of myself, I'll not be
asking advice from such as you"
Such lis me? Please explain"
You're an old soft soaper."
MY dear young woman
And ! pity your WIFE.
But you don't understand. I set
OUT
Yes, 1 know you did. and you may
think yourself lucky if / don't tell the
first policeman l meet. I sized you up
in 4 minute for an old rascal, and
only stayed on to tell you my opinion
of you. If you try to prevent me from
leaving the house I'll arouse the neigh
borhood."
My lear young woman he pro-
tested again.
Rats she answered as she walked
out and banged the DOR behind her.
Mrs. Bowser had heard all the o.
versation through the folding doors.
Inc when the girl left she sat down
and prepared to get of something sar-
castle to greet Mr.. Bowser- A quarter
Of an hour passed without his appear,
ance. and then she entered the parlOr
to find him gone. He had put on his
hat and made a sneak. The cat had
also disappeared. a look from the
front steps up and down showed that
they were not in sight.
Four blocks away in the darkness of
evening Mr.. Bowser was walking up
and down and wondering where ii hit
him, and the cat was following at his
heels and wondering why be would
eve give VI like a man when fairly
licked. NJ. QUAD.