raise a lather. Might as well wash one's hands with
a door-knob!"

And as John's voice grumbled away into the
sullen silence again, the determined voice without
responded: "Oh, you can growl away to your
heart's content, Mr. McKinney, but I want you
to understand distinctly that I'm not going to humor
you in any of your old bachelor, sluggardly,
slovenly ways, and whims and notions. And I
want you to understand, too, that I'm not hired
help in this house, nor a chambermaid, nor anything
of the kind. I'm the landlady here; and I'll give you
just ten minutes more to get down to your breakfast,
or you'll not get any--that's all!" And as
the reversed cuff John was in the act of buttoning
slid from his wrist and rolled under the dresser, he
heard a stiff rustling of starched muslin flouncing
past the door, and the quick italicized patter of
determined gaiters down the hall.

"Look here," said John to the bright-faced boy
in the hotel office, a half hour later. "It seems the
house here's been changing hands again."

"Yes, sir," said the boy, closing the cigar case,
and handing him a lighted match. "Well, the new
landlord, whoever he is," continued John, patronizingly,
"is a good one. Leastwise, he knows what's
good to eat, and how to serve it."