The Cook, the Housemaid, and a Month's Wages.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 62

The Cook, the Housemaid, and a Month's Wages.

An acquaintance of mine called upon an acquaintance of hers the other afternoon and found her in tears and a long white apron — also in the kitchen. "Why, what's the matter?" " My dear, I'm getting ready to cook the dinner." " So I see, but whore are the servants?" "I've just sent them out, bag and baggage. "Both of them" " Both of them ! Do you know what they wore? They were vipers!" And in the intervals of bingeing a chicken, raking the fire, peeling potatoes, and washing cranberries', the tearful one told this tale : " I came in from shopping two hours ago, very quietly, I suppose, though I didn't realise it at the time, and went unstairs to my room, where I lay down on a divan in a dark corner to rest, not to sleep. I may have dosed off for a moment, but if ro was quickly awakened by a woman's voice — that of the cook. "She was saying: " ' Ah, she'll bo out gaddin' for an hour yet.'

" Surely I must bo dreaming ! " Then the gentle tones of my German maid, Louisa : Veil,- git 'em out 'an ve'll try dem on yet. Hurry ! I vos nervous.' " I felt wide awake now, I promiFe you ! I turned over quietly and obtained a full view of them. " Cook had opened my olopet, taken down my latest hat — that beautiful blue one, you know — and was pinning it on to her tously head.

■' Then she_ paraded up and down before the mirror with an air of grout complacency. "'l'll be gettin' one like tlm next wrck, 1 11 she paid. ' It's a blame tight more beeomin' to me than it is to her. Sure the has a face like a neanuUf

" And this was the woman to whom I'd given a watch at Christmas !

" ' Dis is fine,' murmured Louisa, and then as I gazed at her my horror increased. She was coiling my lovely boa of silver fox around her neck, and "was tip-toeing to peep into the glass. " 'Yes, ye look well in that,' remarked the cook. ' Maybe ye cud sneak it the night ye go to the schutzenfest ball.'

"Louisa gasped. " ' I'd be too frightened,' she said. ' But don't I look veil in it? She was too old yet to wear dis. She dresses too young alleady anyway.' "'Faith, an' that she does/ assented the cook. ' Kapo your ears open to hear if the front door shuts.'

"Then she pulled out my lace parasol and opened it.

" ' Say, d'ye know that this niver cost a cint less than 25d01? Th' idea of her a spindin' that poor man's money like this ! An' he a workin' night an' day ! Funny luck some women have ! '

" ' An' I don't see vat he sees in her anyvay,' paid Louisa. 'You ought to hear 'em sometimes fight yet.' " 'Arrah! God knows I've heard 'em often enough,' said the cook. 'She has the timper of a she divil ! '

" 'Cook,' said I quietly, "isn't it near dinner time? '

" Well, you never participated in such a sickening silence in your life ! "For a moment I could actually feel those two women trembling. Then they rushed away and I was alone. " I gave them each a month's -wages and ordered them to pack and be out of the house in an hour. They went without a word, and I have lost- my faith in human nature, but don't propose to lose my dinner." — NewYork World.