Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-02
mouse in these DAYS stood at at.

said Murphy to the girl one night
before Number Ten was home. "Shes
got tn buses sltt'n wit tn mourners,
and tn Dub himself is on the crank
wither; m you can't blame m--fur
Mag's bad. But nun'll happen her II
tn Dub knows his business, fur she's
tn squarest thief as ever pulled a short
check on a house; m she helps tn
Dub to his commission by savin' the
oyster shells. As hasher Mag's Al, n
Il don't take no Dub to know she's
smart"
| A sudden look of tenderness came
into the girls face as Murphy looked
at her.
| Lord! what a smasher you'd be in
| tn hash business IL you had tn same
use of languidge wit your mout' as
/ you've got with your orbsl" Murphy
said and at this moment Mag came in
Her eye flashed and she was pale
Murphy got up and went out. Mag
went to the bed and put her hand on
the girls hair and then followed
Murphy into the kitchen.
WAITS happened you?" said Murphy
waiting. Take ut easy, Mag" Murphy
knew the signs and feared to have the
girl in the next room die of fright, even
if she didn't want her there.
81 guess I'm nervous said Mag.
"W'at happened to tn hash house"
II met bus wit a hearse full on
the cook hole stairs He wasn't hurt
much, but guess tn whole hash house
had stage wait fur minute"
my Gawd! 1 bet after tn collision
you could heard fried egg drop"
Murphy murmured and Mag nodded.
The full hearse" was the omnibus
tray of dirty Dishes
'I'll have drink" Mag said, looking
at Murphy.
"Mebby not" Murphy responded, and
the women looked each other squarely
between the eyes, while Murphy jerked
her head towards the closed door,
"Mebby not" Number Ten answered
replacing a bread knife which she had
mechanically taken from the table
when Murphy had trumped her ace
"Mebby not" and Number Ten, trem-
bling a little, went into the next room.
maggie, I've been thinking of-the
swell all day; let's talk about him.
said the girl, her soft eyes following
Mag as she took the pins from her iron
black hair, the action a measure of re-
lief to Mag when the world went
wrong.
"It's no use," she said, her teeth
chattering. "Tll never see i'm again.
"Who knows? But. anyway, would
like to hear you talk of him. Has he
brown hair and is he straight as SOL
dier, with a big, fine voice-and kind
s?"-the girl stopped.
Eyes," said Mag, turning around and
staring at her. How do you known
The girl laughed weakly.
'I don't know, Mag, but he should
be like that-since you-since-. 1t was
somebody you just saw a few weeks
ago at noon time at the res-hasf
house-wasn't it? Some one you wait.
ed upon? Life is very strange"
"It's strange that you know what
he's like" said Mag, sitting contempla.
! lively upon the gas stove.
II only know what he should be like
the girl said, and smiled at herself ir
the glass.
"Maybe you've known p Swell your
self-'n cared" Number Ten said sud
denly, and then the girl slumped dowr
in the pillows.
eyer cold" Mag said, getting off the
gas stove and lighting it; and the
three women spoke together but little
more that night.
Murphy could but admire the sicl
| girls courage when she discussed Mag's
affairs-because Mag in love was as
| dangerous as Mag in fight.
The next day Mag's violent mood
had passed and she and Murphy came
and went as usual but the Hasherette
grew perceptibly weaker, and even
Murphy was saddened; and sometimes
recalling Roscoe's date book-she
brought the sick girl violets. till
finally there came a memorable day.
! This was an especially auspicious day,
in it's beginning-Number Tens mood
being a chastened oneS and as Murphy
said: "Things were goin' along as easy
as shells down tn shute," till the mo-
ment of ten minutes past one. At that
time Number Ten was engaged in TAX
ing soup from the dumb waiter
Murphy was still thinking about
Twelve Ye-Twenty-who had gone out but
little while beforehand wondering
for Just what degree of poverty his
shiny waistcoat stood; at that moment
the Swell entered and took seat be-
meath the motto that proclaimed "Mince
pie ten cents watch and pray for the
night cometh."
my Gawdl" said Murphy, under her
breath, 'the Swell wat Mag's bin mis-
sini" Afterward Murphy could not re-
call Just how she conveyed the news to
Number Ten, but when Mag turned
from the dumb waiter Murphy was at
her elbow. Then Number Ten grew
pale. It was her way; emotion never
caused Mag to nush. Number Thirteen
was approaching the Swell to take his