The central record., 1913-03-28
SHE HAS A GRIEVANCE
BY MARY BAILEY.

that landlord, thought" calculated
Mrs. Regan, with deep yearning. She
stood conversing across the low rail-
ing that divided her back porch from
the next one in the Garibaldi fats.
Wouldn't l, just! Him talking 80
smooth and pleasant and nodding his
head: Yes. Mrs. Regain Certainly,
Mrs. Regan!' as though his mouth was
full Of butter!
Il was just going through the base
ment Of the laundry, when saw him
talking to the janitor and the janitor
calling him Mr.. Phelps as polite as
could be. 1t flashed over me here was
my chance.
Il went right up to him when 1
heard the name. Are you the Mr..
Phelps that owns the building? says
1. Are you the landlord? Yes,
madam says he, kind of startled like.
Mr.. Kelly, the agent being sick, l
thought I'd come around myself and
have a look at things
"Well,' says l, I'm glad to have
few words with you. Not wanting to
say anything against any one when
he's not here, won't tell you how that
man Kelly has deceived and brow
beaten me and said yes and acted mo-
to few simple little requests l had
to make. II 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 stove!' / says.
No / says impatient, for Mr.. Phelps
looked around the basement kind of
wild, as though he expected to see the
stove there among the laundry tubs,
1t amt here, but I'll be glad to show it
to you! Here am 1. working myself
to skin and bone trying to keep the
nickel on that stove bright and it
looks like old junk And he up and
| says he won't furnish new one be-
| cause this was new last year. Aud
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!
These shelves are two inches too wide
for any shelf paper and I'm a neat wo-
man and l don't like dust over next
the wall, even If it doesn't showl
Now, put 1t to you, Mr.. Phelps
l says, is that any way to treat a
tenant as pays prompt each month";
mo, no, indeed!' Mr. Phelps an.
swered, breathless like. If you'll ex-
cuse me
Just a minute says, taking him
by the arm. While you're here want
you to come upstairs and look at the
wall paper in my parlor. I've had
Mr.. 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
/ came In and that was all right, but
how did l know my daughter Mamie
was going to get a 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 1t makes her
feel faint and she is neglect'ng her
piano pSActice something shocking
just because she can't stand her hair
next to this paper.
Henry Dilbeck, the plumber
around the corner l 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
fonftnn hir, che ka
ing SO keen on being made a fuss
| over! Any man with a heart, Mr.
Phelps says, would feel sorry for
Mamie and not let the price of a few
rolls Of paper spoil her life, poor girl!
Though l don't see why she picked
out that shade Of red for her hair,
even II it is stylish. When will you
send the paperhangers, Mr.. PhelpsT
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. Casey's in the next street. and
that there ought to be a 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 well
take a lesson from him.
When was opening a closet door
to show him where I needed new
hooks he opened the front door and
slid out
II waited and waited a week for
the paperhangers and the new stove
and things and nothing happened.
and then 1 looked in the telephone
book and called up Mr.. Phelps office.
No dealing with that Kelly for me
when / can get the owner!
What do you suppose got? Some
snip of a girl sayst Mr.. Phelps left
word to tell Mrs. Regan that he'd gone
| to the middle of Africa for ten years
and was likely to be delayed getein'
back and for Mrs. Regan to please see
Mr.. Kelly!'
Kelly! You can't trust any of 'em.
says /. But wouldn't like to tell Mr..
Phelps what l think Of him? He's
worse'n Kelly!"-Chicago Daily News.