The Washington times., 1907-12-24

Into the solemn gloom that hedges
about the august presence Of SAe Dis
trict Commissioners there was precipi-
tated today the spirit of anger. dIsdain,
and contentiousness in the person OF a
woman; who was clad IN black and
armed with a vituperative gift that
swept everything before II.
To Daniel f Garges, chief OF the en-
gineer department, fell the honor and
the pain Of meeting the onslaught.
When It was over, he grasped a pen
and wrote a 4O.O0O-word treatise against
marriage as a civilized institution.
Peace Flies Out Ct Window.
Garges was seated at a desk IN tho
office of the Engineer Commissioner.
The peaceful spirit Of Christmas lOOmed
large in the room. Suddenls- the door
was flung open, the draught blowing the
peace out Of the window and ushering
in a woman whose eyes blazed with
militant anger and whose mouth
trembled beneath the load Of words II
imprisoned. Mr.. Garges took one look
al. her ana started 20 run. but. unfor-
tunately. he Is quicker Of wit than Of
feet.
sir said the women, 1.-The District
Commissioners are lOL kenLleLnSAs
Mr.. Garges merely stared
They were not raised as gentlemen"
continued the irate female, throwing her
umbrella into corner and tearing up
about a yard Of carpet with her battling
L cannot agree with you there an
swered the chief clerk, trying TO look
brave.
''Of course. you ean,t!" snapped the The
II you did!'
Gargas Takes the Cc=nt-
At this Garges fell back in his chair
and shouted for Zoe water. He was
being beaten in the face by a food OF
words His hair was being snatched out
by the hurricane OF engry denunciation
that swept past him He touched tho
fire alarm bell and prayed for an am
bulanoe. He was choking. He was red
in the face.
All this time, the woman talked. She
talked IKE a phonograph that is on eX-
hibitiOn to lure the wary purchaser.
Words fell from her IN a multiplicity
that made the heads Of the portraits
on the walls ache 10 bursting. She had
a grievance and she was getting 1t out
of her system. She was lifting from
her shoulders the burden OF a wrong
she had endured for twenty-four hours.
She was piling 1t on the shoulders OF
Mr. Garges, the urDane, Ino OlplOInaIlcs
the sOft-spOken-
SkyIight Cause of Trouble.
She had been ordered by the Engineer
Department to put another skylight in
her house. The ignomy OF such a
thing was too much for her. 1t had
been ordered because the Commission
ers were not gentlemen. II was an IN
suit to her. to the architect OF the house,
10 the builders. TO all her ancestors. and
20 all her posterity, II she had any.
She would not put a skylight into that
roof Nothing would induce her.
Her words were accompanied by ges-
lures that brought to Mr.. Garges'
memory pictures Of every famous battle
the world has seen. Blue lights got
into his eyes. He felt like q man who
has caught the last straw when the
current Is carrying him down stream
at the rate OF eighty miles an hour.
Oh, Chocolate Dropl
He had the insane wish for q chocolate
drop. He felt that he needed sustenance.
A stock OF sugar chewing gum might
have strengthened him He was in de-
spafr. He recalled two or three things
that Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw
had said about woman. He beat the
air in terror, His fow Of words was