The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-08-26
know at once that you considered

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them rs dirt beneath your feet"
Nonsense" she replied. with a laugh.
woman. don't try to excuse your
self. Have o ever in all these TWEEN.
ty years given Il girl to understand
that you had asked for her confidence?
Have you shown any one of them by
Your attitude that she could come to
you with her troubles? Answer me
that, woman"
II will. You had a clerk over in the
office at 81 a week. 1t was starvation
wages. and you knew 1t, and yet you
refused to advance him. You knew
that he f%requented pool rooms, but did
you ever warn him against them? You
knew that he was falling into the
drinking habit. but did you ever sit
down and give him a fatherly talk?
He swore. but did you ever tell him
what a vicious habit 1t was? He final.
ly became discouraged and hanged
himself, but have you gone around
feeling that his death can be laid at
your door?"
Mr.. BOwSer grew weak in the knees
and sat down. Then he got 50 mad
because he had grown weak that he
stood up and motioned and gestured
and tried to explode. He might have
accomplished the feat in another mo-
ment If the basement bell had not
rung and Mrs. Bowser said:
THAT'S probably a girl in answer to
the advertisement. I want you to 20
down and do the engaging. Tell her
that you run the house and that things
have got to go as you say"
IL didn't say
G right down. Wen settle the
servant problem right here and now.
If l go down l shall look at her dis
painfully and tell her that she ought
to have been born q coon or a wood
chuck, but you can welcome her as
Lady Audley and put the whole house
in her charge. There, she is ringing
again."
Mr.. Bowscr went down. 1t was a
girl who wanted to secure the place.
He worked up Il smile and invited her
in and was just about to ask her a
question when she said:
Il didn't know that you We're a wild
over or l shouldn't have come"
But l am not"
"Then your wife is an invalid, and I
don't care to come"
But my wife is in first rate health"
Then where is she?"
You see, my dear girl, my wife
holds rather radical opinions on the
servant girl question, and she and I
don't agree. l believe that a girl who
works in the kitchen is every bit as
good as
Il don't want the place." interrupted
the caller as she made her way out
and left him standing on one leg and
looking very foolish. He was about to
go upstairs when there came a second
ring. and he answered to find that
three applicants had arrived together.
walk in, young l~adies-walk in,"
he saluted, with a flourish.
Applicants For the Place.
"What about the placer asked the
red headed girl. naturally taking the
lead.
Il want Il cook and will pay good
wages. You will find the place as good
as any in town"
''iut what have You got to do about
it,"
"Um! My wife has heretofore hired
all the girls, but we differ on how they
should be treated. She insists on keep
ing them down, while l insist on
"On soft soaping around. l have me
your kind before. l am going"
as your Wife at home, sir?" asked
the blond rs she stepped forward.
Yes. but l am to engage the girl.
look upon you as a human being, while
my wife,
"IIas a fool for a husband!" finished
the blond as she walked out.
Mr.. Bowser and the black haired girl
looked at each other for half Il min
ute, and then she asked:
"Do you expect that a girl is going to
hire to an old hen huzzy who will come
! poking around the kitchen. l shall Ell
thcr hire to your wife or not at ALL"
but, you see, my wife,
Good night, sir"
Mr.. Bowser turned and went up
stairs. He stopped as he assembled. He
stamped down the hall. He put on his
hat with a bang, opened the door with
a jerk and closed 1t with a jar and
then sat down on the front steps to
mediate. Men passed. Tramps stop
ped and leaned on the fence and called
to him for a dime. The bats called
out by the summer night whizzed
about him. the skeeters sang In his
ear. and cats skulked and meowed, but
he needed them not. He had started
a row and got the worst of it, and he
was bordering on how he could get
ever with the victor. NJ. QUAD.