The San Francisco call., 1910-02-06

her friends would believe the reports,
and it would just kill her to have them
think she was poor. Then when he
said it was out of the question to spend
one extra cent, and that by rights they
ought to sell the house and go down
in the country to live, she got wild.
She blubbered and cried and carried
on like mad woman, and poor, big
hearted unsuspecting John never
seemed to guess she was only acting.
and very poorly at that, in order to
get what she wanted.
Although she was smart enough not
10 have any of the servants around
when she did the tragedy queen act,
she was not quite keen enough to fool
me- l knew the signs, and when
saw she was out on the war path [
left the doors open. Pretending she
was going crazy from her brutal hus-
bands i'll treatment. she would stiffen
her body and seream-a scream like
pig squeal At about the third squeal
Mr.. Xxx would jump up and throw
his arms around her. saying all sorts
of foolish things and promising to do
anything in his power, until she calmed
down.
After while l thought he seemed
to be losing interest in her tantrums,
and she seemed to feel that she was
losing her grip. While she was stupid
in most things, she was smart enough
to keep a leverage on poor Johns
feelings
One day l was busy UP stairs in the
linen closet Seeing something was go
ing to happen 1 thought L might as well
be on hand, so 1 took hold of the linen
closet, as it was right opposite Mrs.
ks sitting room. Poor Mr.. Xxx
had come home that evening worried
and discouraged to death, SO his wife
had taken that occasion TO propose a
trip to Santa Barbara. On top of all
his troubles this was too much. He
was always d man of few words, but
this time he said a good deal She
tried her flying all to pieces ruse, but
for once it didn't work. Then she tried
to faint Mr.. Xxx called me in. but all
l did was to wet her face until 1 had
washed all the powder and paint off,
Shrieking that she would kill herself
she rushed across to her room, locked
the door and turned on the gas. If
she had been left alone she would
have turned it off in just about a min
ute, but poor Mr.. XIX was scared half
to death and called and pleaded and
finally broke the door in to get to her.
The suicide idea was her master
stroke, and after that she had it all
her own way. She could work him to
a finish any time. And she did it, too.
She could get anything under heaven
by simply turning on the gas. L used
to look at this fine Christian gentleman
and wonder what crime he had ever
committed that he had to be repaid by
having Della for his wife. Whatever
he thought about It he kept to him.
self. He had a way of closing up
tighter and tighter when things got
bad, and the worse he felt the less he
said.
She was not smart enough, however,
to save her trumps for high tricks.
She finally wore out her suicide act, as
she had overworked the tragedy queen
act-then there was nothing left, unless
she did the real thing. which was the
farthest from her thoughts.
1 was glad, just downright glad in
my heart, when I saw Mr.. Xxx at
last getting his eyes open. AS business
went from bad to worse she became
more cantankerous, wanting everything
she saw anybody else have and to go
every place she heard of anybody else
going and never satisfied.
1T will be a cold day for you. my
lady" I used to say behind her back
and chuckle to myself at the prospect
of the licking fate was laying up for
her, and about every week / made up
my mind to give notice, l was that dis
gusted with the whole thing, but so
anxious was to see her get her deserts
that I'd decide to stay while longer.
When Mr.. Xxx finally got his eyes
open ii did not take him long to see
right through her-all her little mean
nesses, her spitefulness, her deception.
her selfishness. her insincerity, every
thing that made her the very opposite
of himself and of the woman he de-
served to have for his wife. Things
went on this way several months, un-