Putnam patriot., 1915-06-04


 "Full?" repeated Emma McChesney fand if it weren't for the compositor thered be an exclamation point after that question mark.
 Sorry, Mrs MeChesney." said the clerk, and he actually looked it, but there's absolutely nothing stirring We're full up The Benevolent Broth erhood of Bisons is holding its regular annual state convention here. We're putting up cots in the hall"
 Emma McChesney's keen blue eyes glanced up from their inspection of the little bunch of mail which had just been handed her Well, pick out hall with a southern exposure and set up cot or so for me- she said. agreeably, because I've come to stay. After selling Featherloom petticoats on the road for ten years l don't see myself trailing up and down this town looking for place to lay my head. I've learned this one large, immova- ble truth, and that is, that a hotel clerk is a hotel clerk. It makes no difference whether he is stuck back of a marble pillar and hidden by gold vase full of thirty-six-inch Amer ican beauty roses at the Knickerbock- CT, or setting the late fall fashions for men in Galesburg, Ill
 By one small degree was the perfect poise of the peerless parsonage behind the register jared. But by only one. He was a hotel night clerk.
 Tt won't do any good to get sore, Mrs McChesney," he began, suayely. Now man would"
 But I'm not a man." interrupted Emma MeChesney. I'm only doing a mans work and earning a mans salary and demanding to be treated with as much consideration as you'd show a man."
 The parsonage busied himself might fly with pen, and blotter, and sun dry papers, as is the manner of per sonages when annoyed. I'd like to accommodate you; I'd like to do it.
 Cheer up," said Emma McChesney, you're gong to. 1 don't mind lit, tle discomfort. Though l want to men, tion in passing that if there are any lady Bisons present you needn't bank on doubling me up with them. I've had one experience of that kind. It was in Albia, Iowa. I'd sleep in the kitchen range before I'd go through another"
 Up went the erstwhile falling boise. You're badly mistaken, madam. I'm a member of this order myself, and finer lot of fellows it has never been my pleasure to know"
 Yes, I know" drawled Emma Nc Chesney. Do you know, the thing that gets me is the inconsistency of it. Along come a lot of boobs who never use a hotel the year around ex- cept to loaf in the lobby, and wear out the leather chairs, and use up the matches and toothpicks and get the baseball returns, and immediately you turn away a travelling man who uses a three-dollar-a-day room, with a sam ple room downstairs for his stuff, who tips every porter and bell-boy in the place. asks for no favors, and who, if you give him a halfway decent cup of coffee for breakfast, will fall in love with the place and boom 1t all over the country. Half of your Be nevolent Bisons are here on the Eu- ropean plan, with view to patronizing the free-lunch counters or being asked to take dinner at the home of some To- cal Bison whose wife has been cook ing up on pies, and chicken salad and veal roast for the last week
 Emma McChesney leaned over desk a little. and lowered her voice to the tone of confidence. Now, I'm not in the habit of making nuisance of myself like this l don't get so chatty as a rule, and l know that i could jump over to Monmouth and get frstciass accommodations there But just this once I've a good reason for wanting to make you and myself a little miserable. Ysee, my son is travelling with me tkis trip.
 ~sonf" echoed the clerk staring.
 Thanks. That's what they all do. After a while I'll begin to believe that there must be something hauntingly beautiful and girlish about me or ey- cry one wouldn't petrify when l an- nounee that I've a six-foot son at- tached to my apron strings. He looks twenty-one, but hos seventeen. lie thinks the worlds rotten because he can't grow one of those fuzzy little mustaches that the men are culuVat- ing to match their hats. Hes down at the depot now, strengthening out our baggage. Now l want to say this De-