Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-09

punch and looked about. The sight of
Number Ten might have aroused her.
She still held out the prunes. Twelve
Twenty became confused with anxiety.
Unoonsciously he had become to an
extent dependent upon Murphy. He
sought her approval
II really don't pay a great deal of
attention to these matters, but 1 believe
my former housekeeper has been gone
for some time now-the place seems
to indicate it-and / dare say 1 should
get another housekeeper al once. Some
one, some friend-1 don't just remem-
Der aforementioned It, believe IT. was
the cigar stubs in her work basket.
shall be very careful not to commit
the offence again. You-you might tell
any one SO to whom you thought Of
mentioning my necessity If you will
be so very kind, Murphy l simply was
not aware 1t was the housekeeper's
work basket. 1 believe this was the
case. A bachelors apartment, you
know? Perhaps you have been to my
place? l do not recall-Fifth avenue
and-not far---a good, and around
housekeeper, who win be somewhat in
dulgent-cigar ashes and-if you should
hear of any one"-
Murphy gently lowered the prunes
and stood looking down at Twelve
Twenty.
"Gawd sakesl" she said, and Twelve
Twenty waited pleasantly till she
should speak again
| I do not suppose you could come in
say a couple of hours every day.
Murphy, till l found some one to come
permanently?" He spoke with a de-
gree of hesitancy. 1t seemed to him it
would be a great relief if Murphy
should undertake his tragedy. IT
should consider it great favor-a very
great favor-and under the circum-
stances 1 should expect to pay-oh,
anything especial, you un-
derstand-" He paused again and
smiled. Murphy stood erect and
punched three holes in her apron, and
then shook off the nightmare.
"Pll look after ut, she said, putting
her hand to her throat. Write th'
name, m I'll be there after me stunt
at tn hash house is DONE" Twelve.
Twenty breathed deeply, and. shaking
off his burdens, stood up and reached
for his hat. "That is the address, he
said, holding out card. Murphy took
it and looked at it.
-Four eggs m butter th' size of a
walnut" she said and then gazed at
him.
"Heavens!" he said IT think that is
a recipe-a dish that am very fond of
very" he smiled
"Tll make ut fur ye,'' said Murphy
and exchanged the recipe fur Twelve
Twenty's visiting card, which read
quite satisfactorily, and then she
watched him go down the hash house
way, pass Roscoes cage, get as far as
the man making butter cakes, return,
meet Roscoes assurance that the bill
was paid, which was followed by
Twelve-Twenty's quite innocent re-
treat, and then Murphy retired to the
place of the lockers, where the hen
feather boa reposed.
AT midnight that night she still sat
upon the gas stove, and Number Ten
had long since ceased to brush her hair
methodically, but between fierce and
unconscious sweeps of the brush she
cooked the implement on end upon the
bureau while she listened.
"And tn towel around his button
holes?" she questioned, with expanded
eyes.
Jest no housekeeper-'n' tn good
old summertime-he's got nine suits on
tn pegs. counted 'em!" and Murphy's
jaw became firm and set; relaxation
had not yet come to her.
IN tn prunes, m DOPE"
"He likes 'em, m he gets off his feed.
m eats little things the X-Ray gives
M" Murphy groaned. on needs some
one to tell m to eat even them"
an he rich, yet a comm to tn
hash house for six months!"
1T yelled ut out at him before
know, while 1 was a diggin out tn
Apple Belvarderlo "a tn tides m
bricky- brack-the place is a swell ruin!
He was readin' m didn't sense wat
was aslSin' fur while; he only heard
tn noise; n then ne didn't see nutln'
dotty about tn question, but just says:
at believe ut was somewhat cold one
day m 1 had forgotten me breakfast,
m l was going by m l find 1t easier to
get into a habit NJ then he gets
busy wit his intellect some more, IN
1 kept gaspin' around. diggin tn
place out; 'n'-w'en l left 1 just put
a sign on tn table, wat 1 wrote wit
a pencil on a sheet of paper: Eyer at
home" m / lays ut on tn table beside
IN, m just then he looks up m looks
at tn sign m then at me m then
around the place, m then he falls back
m laughs.
4" Murphy, he said. putin the five
dollars In me hand. you're a goddus,
an don't let Chaos come again-'n' l