Middletown transcript., 1906-05-26
4 FOAM=BORN CONSPIRACY
BY CLINTON DANGERFIELD

woman.
You-you are-the new wash
erWoman? Why, you are-I say,
he's got no right toilet you take
those beastly things of his.
They're just a mass of clay and
CRIME. They take shocking lot
of scrubbing.
The girls dignity deserted
her. A piteous look Of implora-
ton came over her face.
Surely you won't induce him
to take them from me ? know
I don't look strong, but I'm ever
so much better muscled than ]
seem. Ill scrub them just as
earefullyas Kate would do She's
promised to show me how. Oh,
please don't interfere! It means
$50 much to me.
Good God-how you misunder-
stand /! It's only that such work
isn't fit for you. Haven't you
ANY one out here?
NY father-John Graham. |
joined him yesterday. She
flung up her little head proudly.
When he strikes pay-gravel,
we'll be rich. But now-we
must eat. didn't come out here
to burden him. I came to add
my-resources-to his. came
to see that he has nourishing
food. And such things must be
paid for. Kate says there is a
fortune in washing. The men
give her two dollars apiece. She
has money laid away, and she
told me to get Mr.. Kennedy's
clothes-so' | don't harm any one,
she added, with a sweet, defiant
blush on her face.
Why do you talk in that way ?
cried Eastman, in great distress.
You make me seem perfectly
brutal, and I only meant
You meant l don't look my
, role, interrupted the girl, with a
little sob in her voice. You
meant that it's only you men who
! can do honest manual labor when
you like-who can toll in lowly
! ways and still be-well- bred. l
suppose you think I ought to
have had talent-that I should
dance out here, or sing
Now. God forbid
But I've no talents. | can't
teach. I shouldn't even know
how to beg. / was taught to do
| nothing; and then my aunt died
and we found her wealth was
only an annuity. She didn't
leave me penny. And I've
come out here to do my share.
I've come to work.
Eastman, who had been stand
ing in the doorway, now came
quietly in.
Will you be good enough to
take my washing? he inquired,
with businesslike abruptness.
Kate-er-Kate makes such, a
hash of things. I've resolved
er-for some time make
a change.
Oh. may have yours, too? she
cried, in delight. That makes
four dollars week already. Kate
said I could wash for six of the
men. Now I'll need only four
others.
Eastman paused in the midst
of a very hurried collection of
soiled garments. His ci-devant
laundress had heretofore walked
in ard gathered up what she saw
fit. If the delicacy of Kate's past
was open to doubt, her honesty,
at least, was unquestionably be-
yond suspicion.
Please don't go to any of the
others, Eastman said, eagerly. I
have some-special friends, for
whom. l should like you to work.
Oh, thank you ever so much,
said the washerwoman, earn
esty. When can | count on
them?
Next Monday. And-and you
needn't come here for them. I'll
bring them all to your-place Of
business-the clothes, I mean.
She sighed with relief.
How kind you are! My wash
ing place is beside Kate's, down
at the ford.
When Eastman finally returned
with the desired cartridges, he
met with sarcastic inquiries as
10 whether he had not been try
ing to manufacture few but he
smiled in such an absent minded
way that Kennedy sharply re-
quested him
Stop wool-gatherin', onless you
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