Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-15
+ h 9 u ally
Short Story
A PHASE OF THE SERVANT QTES.
TON.
BY Elinor Marsh,

than any man I'm the world He was
+ constantly making deductions with re-
gard to them For instance, if be saw
d woman pass a mirror, glance at her
reflection, adjust her hat or some
other portion of her apparel he would
assume that she was vain. When he
married me he took especial pains 10
discover whether was popular with
my own sex IL wouldn't give a fg
for a woman whom women don't like
he said In telling me Of his precautiCn
after we were married and In doing so
paid me the compliment to say that in
my case the report was favorable Z
didn't consider IL a compliment. for
my very best woman friend had never
been popular with women simply be-
cause they didn't understand heT
we lived in a town on the Pacific
coats where the only servants 70 be
had were Chinese. We went TO house
keeping as soon as we were married.
and 7 hired a cook named Charlie Lee.
Charlie agreed to give me month";
notice before leaving, but some one of
fered him 50 a month more than I was
paving him. and without either giving
me the stipulated notice or the prlvt-
lego even Of raising his wages he LEFT
me the day before 7 was 70 have friends
fn for dinner More than this. he de-
Taanded wages for two weeks when he
had been with me only eight days. i
paid him for one week and told him %
20, and go quickly, and never show
his face in my house again.
When John came home and I told
him what had happened / saw by the
wrinkle In his forehead that he consid-
cred me in some way to blame. but he
Eaid nothing I secured another China
man as cook, but was astonished when
he told me at the end of the first week
that he would stay with me no longer
Are you sure, asked John. that
you have said or done nothing 20
rufIe htm2"
I'm sure I've neither said nor done
anything that should runle him"
John turned to the evening paper
that no had brought home with him
and / knew he considered there was
something wrong with me or I would
not have lost two servants within
month The third Cbinamau stayed
with me just two days.
John had refraiued from speaking
MS mind on the servant question tin
this third cook left me. Then we had
our first spat
You must admit. nay dear" ne said,
that there is some reason for the de-
parture of all your servants
You mean that ] don't treat them
kindly"
mot that but perhaps your manner
may be q trl6e diCtat0riaI"
u should have supposed" I retort-
ed. chat you would have inquired be-
fore marrying ma whether my manner
TO servants was deferentfaI enough"
You misunderstood me. Our man
ner is something for which we are
not responsible, being born TO IL. I can
Chinese. exi1es from their homes. may
have q sensitveness TO kindness
that
Z heard no more. for I went out of
the room, and fear I shut the door
after me a trlfie harder than was nee
essary. L determined that I would
GnG out what was preventing my keep
Ing q servant If / had TO send TO the
FIowcry kingdom for "a native d9tec-
tive. ] went to a friend. told her the
circumstances and asked her advice.
-Ihcse Chinese are very clanntsh.'
she saio. What one does they all do
But how do theV all know enough
to do the same thing? Those / have
had surely were not acquainted"
Il have had one Of them for years,
she said "Ill ask him If he can eE-
plain"
Chang Wing. her servant, was called
in and the case put to him. He said be
would go to see me the next day after
his work was finished He came, as ne
agreed, and walked straight into the
kitchen. where he commenced 70 eE-
anime the furniture and cooking uteu-
sis. Then he looked into every Grew
Ice and corner. 1t struck me that bs
was searching for evidence OF the
presence OF mice fn the house. for I
had heard of the Chinese appreciation
OF this deIicacy, and informed him
that there were none and wouldn't
lave them on my precfses on any 8c-
count. He paid no attention to the in-
formation keeping on with his ran
sacking lie looked on the bottoms of