hand-organs, fountains and pinochle were playing everywhere.

The windows of Mrs. Murphy's boarding-house were open. A group of
boarders were seated on the high stoop upon round, flat mats like
German pancakes.

In one of the second-floor front windows Mrs. McCaskey awaited her
husband. Supper was cooling on the table. Its heat went into Mrs.
McCaskey.

At nine Mr. McCaskey came. He carried his coat on his arm and his pipe
in his teeth; and he apologised for disturbing the boarders on the steps
as he selected spots of stone between them on which to set his size 9,
width Ds.

As he opened the door of his room he received a surprise. Instead of the
usual stove-lid or potato-masher for him to dodge, came only words.

Mr. McCaskey reckoned that the benign May moon had softened the breast
of his spouse.

"I heard ye," came the oral substitutes for kitchenware. "Ye can
apollygise to riff-raff of the streets for settin' yer unhandy feet on
the tails of their frocks, but ye'd walk on the neck of yer wife the
length of a clothes-line without so much as a 'Kiss me fut,' and I'm
sure it's that long from rubberin' out the windy for ye and the victuals
cold such as there's money to buy after drinkin' up yer wages at
Gallegher's every Saturday evenin', and the gas man here twice to-day
for his."