“Well to be frank, Mrs. Hodge Podge” answers Miss Flimflam at the desk, “a cooks an expinsive proppysition in these days. Now we have thim all the way down from $200 a munth to—er—well, you mite git an inexperienced beginnir for about $30, tho I cant promise.” “Your fooling Minnie. Shure no cook gits such a forchune” ses I. “Its thruth I’m telling you. Why I heard the uther day that Mrs. Vanderfool do be paying her cook $20,000 a year, and whats more the papers state theres an agytation now on foot among the bizzy club wimmin to let the poor hard warking girls, whose been impoased upon for sinturies, yuse the parlor wance a week to see there company in.” “You don’t say” ses I, “and to think of me drudging for the starving wage of $20 per month.” “Well” ses Minnie, “I wont misguide you Delia. $20 is the wages of a green girl who niver saw a Frinch pertater fryed on airth and who broils a stake in a sorspan cuvered snug wid water.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER III THE TWENTY-FOURTH I aroze at the ushil our. Washed. Dressed in me best. Miss Claire cum into me room brite and airly. Ses she: “O Delia, heres that auld green skurt of mine you always liked. Your welcame to it.” “Thanks” ses I, “but I expect to be making sooch grand wages soon, Miss Claire, I’ll be bying finer skurts than that.” Wid that I pushed the skurt aside with contemshus tooch. She got all red and pretty, as she has a habit whin angry, and she put up her hed hy in the air. “O well, if that’s the way you feel!” ses she and marched out. Mr. John cum into me kitchen. “Delia” ses he “heres a quarter. Now hussle wid me brikfust, will you?” I took the quarter and flipped it round. “Mr. Johnny” ses I, “me munth is oop at 7 A.M. this marning. I’m after waiting for me wages.” He drew up his brows frowning and wint aff into his mothers room. A moment later the auld gintleman himsilf cum bloostering out. Its his ushil custum to get up at 10. “Whats up! Whats up!” ses he. “Wheres me chop? Wheres me chop?” Master Will started in to ball and Mr. James kept ringing the table bell. Such a house I never seen. Out came the madame in her ushil nitegown. “Delia” ses she “didn’t I tell you yesterday I’d decided to guv you anuther chance.” “You did mam, but I’m for going now” ses I. “Go about your wark” ses she, her proud voice becoming a bit narvous in toan. “I’m waiting for me wages mam” ses I. “Delia——” she guv a hasty look about her, thin she spakes in a coaxing vyce: “Now Delia, be sinsible. You no we think warlds of you. Now——” Joost then, Miss Claire looks in, her face still red wid the snub I’m after giving her about the skurt. “Muther” ses she, “don’t descind to begging Delia to remane. _Let_ her go. We can get on famissly widout her.”