Meanwhile, the originator of the trouble sat serenely-
chuckling, till a forbidding person in black — the exact
illustration of the popular notion of woman's rights —
turned round, and offered him three nicked pepper loz-
enges, with the sour remark that they were good for
gripes in the throat; whereupon, after a parting effort,
Charley enveloped his face in his handkerchief, and went
humbly down to the billiard-room below. . ..
In spite of this little episode, Mollie and the house-
hold kept the run of the argument in the charming talk^



> N



SHIFTLESS FOLKS. 407

and even Mrs. Pelican resumed her furs, and sat melted
as in a furnace for the pleasure of hearing the whole.
After the lecture the party went behind the scenes, and
were introduced to Silver Tongue, whom they found sur-
rounded by a bevy of admirers.
" I never wanted to vote before, but now I do," said
Mrs. Pelican, the omnipotent Grundy forgotten in enthu-
siasm.
" Haw ! haw ! haw ! " snorted an individual fresh from
the Cereus' hospitable doors, with added sense of the
weight of the masculine dignity as manifested by diffi-
culty in keeping its lodging house off from the floor.
" I s'pose you'll ave-to — angels oughth do er (hie) do
as they pleash." Charley's eyes were fixed on Mr. Giz-
zard, with an expression too ominous for even his befud-
dled brains to ignore, and Francis Haythorne carried
Peace off directly.
