Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-14
DAILY SHORT STORY
WHY SERVANTS DIDN'T STAY.
$1,000
TOrislual.1

AL pdSS Il Ht A'~A 1890
ton. adjust her hat or some other por
ton of her apparel lie would assume
that she was vain. When lie marrleu
me he took especial pains To discover
whether 1 was popular with my own
sex Il wouldn't give Il fig for WON
an whom women don't like" he said
IN telling me of his precaution after
we were married and i'll doing so paid
me the compliment 10 say that i'll my
case the report was favorable l
didn't consider it a compliment. for my
very best woman friend had never
been popular with women simply be
cause they didn't understand her.
We lived in "a town on the Pacific
coast where the only servants TO be
had were Chinese. We went to house
keeping as soon as we We're married.
and / hired a cook named Charlie Lee
Charlie agreed TO give me Il months
notice before leaving. but some one OF
fered him 81 month more than l was
paying him. ami without either giving
me the stipulated notice or the privi-
leCe even of raising his wages he left
me the day before l was TO have
friends in for dinner. More than this.
he demanded wages for two weeks
when lie had only been with me eight
days. l paid him for one week and
told him 10 go. and go quickly. and
never show his face in my house again.
When John came home and 1 told
him what had happened 1 saw by the
wrinkle i'm his forehead that he consid
cred me I'm some way 10 blame. but he
said nothing. ! secured another China
man as cook. but was astonished when
lie told me at the end of the first week
that lie would stay with me no longer
Are you sure asked John. that
you have said or done nothing TO ruffie
him.
I'm sure I've neither said nor done
anything that should ruffie him.
John turned TO the evening paper
that he had brought home with him.
and / knew he considered there was
something wrong with me or l would
not have lost two servants within a
month. The third Chinaman stayed
with Inc just two days. when he diSap-
peared without having the impudence
TO ask for pay. though year afterward
/ missed an article of bric-a-brac that
was ample compensation for his pay.
John had refrainel from speaking his
mind OH the servant question till this
third cook left me- Then we had our
first spat
You must admit. my dear he said,
that there is some reason for the de-
parture of all your servants"
You mean that 1 don't treat them
kindly"
Not that. but perhaps your manner
may be tribe dictatorial.''
Il should have supposed l retort-
ed. that you would have inquired be-
fore marrying me whether my manner
TO servants was sufficiently deferential
You misunderstood me. Our man
ner is something for which we are
not responsible. being born To it l can
readily understand how these simple
Chinese. exiies from their homes. may
have Il sensitiveness 10 kindness that
heard no more. for went out of the
room. and / fear / shut the door after
me n trifle harder than was necessary.
l determined that | would find out
what was preventing my keeping IL
servant if had To send TO the Flowery
Kingdom for n native detective. 1 went
TO n friend. told her the circumstances
and asked her advice.
These Chinese are very clannish,"
she said. What one does they all do"
But how do they all know enough
TO do the same thing? Those / have
had surely were not acquainted"
Il have had one of them for years."
she said. I'll ask him if he can ex-
plain
Chang Wing. her servant, was called
I'm and the case put TO him. He said he
would go to see me the next day after
his work was finished. He came. as he
agreed. and walked straight into the
where lie commenced to exam
inc the furniture and cooking utensils
Then he looked into every crevice and
corner. Ii struck me that lie was search
ing for evidence of the presence of mice
in the house. for | had heard OF the
Chinese appreciation OF this delicacy,
and informed him that there were none
and | wouldn't have them on my prem
fseS on any account. He paid no at |
tention 10 the information. keeping on
with his ransacking. He looked on the |
bottoms OF the chairs and the pots and |
kettles. turned up the oilcloth on the |
floor removed every article in the kit |
chen closet and examined il as well as |
the walls and the shelves. Finally he |
took down the clock and looked at its |
back. Then knew from the celestial |
look on his face that he had found |
what he had been searching for.
What is it," ! asked eagerly.
He pointed To some Chinese charac- |
tiers clalked on the back of the clock /
and translated them:
Very bad woman Doesn't pay the |
wages
Charlie Lee. my first cook. was the /
only one Of the lot | had had any diff |
ference with about money. and Of |
course il was he who had passed the
word TO his SUCCESSORS.
When John came home that evening
told him that thought / had discov-
cred the cause Of my trouble with