“What!” shourts Mr. James, sticking in his hed at the dure, “No cook! Whats to becum of us. Are we” ses he “to go throo a like nitemare such as we injured befure the advent of Delia?” Willie now cum poking _his_ hed in between his daddy’s legs. “Pleese Delia” ses he “guv me my fareena. _I_ love you, Delia” ses he. “God love the lamb!” ses I and flew to the stove, me hart going out of me body to the child. “Hold!” ses Miss Claire, very loftily, and she cum over to me and tuk the dubble boyler out of me hand. “Put on yure things” ses she “and go. At _once_” ses she “at once!” Then she turned to her brothers and parents. “Go back to the dining-room” ses she “_I’ll_ get brikfust to-day.” Mr. James guv a dridful groan, and sloonk off to the dining-room, wid his hands on his stummick. “Mamma” ses Miss Claire, “pay off Delia. Youve been composed upon long enuff” ses she. “Hereafter _I’ll_ manage things.” And me, the last of 1,700 girls in the same place—for so I larned from me frind the janitor’s wife—walked out wid me $20 in me pocket. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER IV THE FOLLOWING DAY AT MINNIE CARNAVAN’S HOUSE Aroze at 8:30. Washed—all over. Dressed in me best. Borrowed Minnie’s hat wid the grand white ostrich fether. Minnie wint along wid me to the Alluyunce. “For” ses she “its saft you are, mavorneen.” After paying our fee of $1 we set around thegither wid mebbe 40 uther unforchnut girls in a room on the sicond flure. “Now remimber” ses Minnie, “no _gineral_ housewark for you. Its a grand cook you be, or a foine first-class waitress, or an illigunt chamber-made, or a nurse to a babby oonderstanding all about bottle feeding. Now raymimber what you are.” “I begin to have mis doubts, Minnie” ses I, trimbling inwardly. “Ah go wan” ses Minnie, wid contimp, and just thin wan of the Miss Flimflams (for so Minnie had them all named), cum into the room and ses in a loud voyce: “A nurse! I’ve a call here for a nurse. Must be first-class. Consumtive. Wages $10 a week.” “Tak it!” wispers Minnie, excitedly and she pushed me along. “Are you a nurse?” arsks Miss Flimflam, looking at me misdoubtfully. “Well mam” ses I “Its manny a yung wan——” “O deer!” ses she impayshuntly, “a _trayned_ nurse is what I want. Are there any trayned nurses here?” There wint a little pockmarked woman forward. “What have you dun?” arsks Miss Flimflam. [Illustration: “‘Now remimber,’ ses Minnie, ‘no gineral housework for you.’” ] “Well deerie” ses the pockmarked lady, “I’ve tinded to invaleeds since I was so high deerie. Me speshultys obstetery.” “Obstetery? Whats that?” arsks Miss Flimflam opening oop her eyes wide. “Why I’m a midwife, to spake voolgarly deerie” ses the pockmarked wan. “Oh” ses Miss Flimflam, and wint out larfing. Shed been gone but a minit whin a stout miss Flimflam cums in in a hurry. She reeds frum a paper in her hand: