Putnam patriot., 1913-08-22
SHE HAS A GRIEVANCE
By MARY BAILEY.


 that landlord. thought" calculated Mrs. Began, with deep yearning. She stood conversing across the low rail ing that divided her back porch from the next one in the Garibaldi flats Wouldn't l. justi Him talking so smooth and pleasant and aoSa.aaiiiis his head: Yes, Mrs Began Certainly, Mrs. Regani' as though his mouth was full of butter,
 T was just going through the base
 ment of the laundry. when saw him talking to the ianitor and the janitor a calling him Mir Phelps as polite as
 could be It flashed over me here was
 my chance.
 T went right up to him when I
 heard the name. Are you the Mir. Phelps that owns the building?' says l. Are you the landlord9 Yes,
 madam says he. kind of startled like.
 MT. Kelly, the agent being sick, I
 thought I'd come around myself and
 have look at things
 We'll says l. I'm glad to have a | few words with you. Not wanting to l say anything against any one when l he's not here, won't tell you how that
 man Kelly has deceived and brow beaten me and said yes and acted no
 to few simple little requests l had | to make. If that man Kelly was to be asked his own name point blank he'd say it was Jones just because he hates to tell the truth!
 Look at my gas stovei' 1 says. No l says impatient, for MT. Phelps l looked around the basement kind of
 wild. as though he expected to see the | stove there among the laundry tubs, | it ain't here, but I'll be glad to show 1t l to you! Here am I, working myself to skin and bone trying to keep the nickel on that stove bright and 1t looks like old junk And he up and | says he won't furnish new one be- | cause this was new last year. And
 me asking him polite and gentle for new shelves in the pantry every time I've laid eyes on him, and him saying | he'd see about it and he hasn't! l These shelves are two inches too wide | for any shelf paper and I'm neat wo-
 man and I don't like dust over next | the wall, even If 1t doesn't showl ." Now, l put it to you, MT Phelps,'
 I says, is that any way to treat tenant as pays prompt each month"; No, no, indeed,' Mir Phelps an- | swered, breathless like. If you'll ex- cuse me
 " Just a minute 1 says, taking him | by the arm. While you're here l want you to come upstairs and look at the wall paper in my parlor. I've had | MT. Kelly look at 1t every time I've seen him and he's agreed that should | have it done over and then he doesn't
 do it! Of course. picked it out when I l came in and that was all right, but how did I know my daughter Mamie was going to get craze to have her hair dyed that reddish tint? You can seen for youself, Mr Phelps, how red | hair won't go at all with this pinkish paper. Mamie has an artistic temp'ra- ment and she says every time she has to come into this room it makes her l feel faint and she is neglecting her | piano practice something shocking just because she cant stand her hair next to this paper
 "'Henry Dilbeck, the plumber around the corner. I says, Is paying particular attention to Mamie and. goodness knows, she may lose him, feeling so awful about the paper and not being able to concentrate her at tention on him as she ought, men be- ing so keen on being made fuss overi Any man with heart, MT. Phelps,' says, would feel sorry for
 Mamie and not let the price of few
 rolls of paper spoil her life, poor girl!
 Though I don't see why she picked
 out that shade of red for her hair.
 even if 1t is stylish. When will you
 send the paperhangers, Mir Phelps?'
 He said at once that he'd see and
 started to go, but l stopped him.
 said that besides the gas stove and
 the paper and the pantry shelves
 wanted the floors done over and new
 window shades and new gas fixtures
 in the dining room like they have at
 Mrs. Caseys in the next street. and
 that there ought to be new carpet
 down the front stairs. All he did was
 nod and say yes and agree with me
 and I told him that he was a gentle
 man with sense and Kelly might we'll
 take a lesson from him.
 When l was opening closet door
 to show him where I needed new
 hooks he opened the front door and slid out.
 q waited and waited week for
 the paperhangers and the new stove
 and things and nothing happened. and then I looked in the telephone book and called up MT. Phelps office. No dealing with that Kelly for me when I can get the owner! What do you suppose got? Some snip of a girl says Mir. Phelps left
 word to tell Mrs Began that he'd gone to the middle of Africa for ten years and was likely to be delayed gettin' back and for Mrs. Began to please see MT. Kelly!'
 Kelly! You can't trust any of 'em.
 says I. But wouldn't like to tell MT. Phelps what I think of him? He's worse'n Kellyi"-Chicago Daily News. Wnr
 Tharoforo If ia that I believe that