she darted back into the parlor
Mrs. Wiggins turned slowly and ominously upon her. “Ye call me a disrupterbul female hag’in, han ye vont find hit ‘ealthy.”
Mrs. Mumpson prudently backed toward the door before delivering her return fire.
“Woman!” she cried, “are you out of your mind??Don’t you know I’m housekeeper here, and that it’s my duty to superintend you and your work?”
“Vell, then, hi’ll double ye hup hand put ye hon the shelf hof the dresser han’ lock the glass door hon ye.?From hup there ye kin see all that’s goin’ hon and sup’intend to yer ‘eart’s content,” and she started for her superior officer.
Mrs. Mumpson backed so precipitately with her chair that it struck against the door case, and she sat down hard.?Seeing that Mrs. Wiggins was almost upon her, she darted back into the parlor, leaving the chair as a trophy in the hands of her enemy.?Mrs. Wiggins was somewhat appeased by this second triumph, and with the hope of adding gall and bitterness to Mrs. Mumpson’s defeat, she took the chair to her rival’s favorite rocking place, lighted her pipe, and sat down in grim complacency.?Mrs. Mumpson warily approached to recover a support which, from long habit, had become moral as well as physical, and her indignation knew no bounds when she saw it creaking under the weight of her foe.?It must be admitted, however, that her ire was not so great that she did not retain the “better part of valor,” for she stepped back, unlocked the front door, and set it ajar.?On returning, she opened with a volubility that awed even Mrs. Wiggins for a moment. “You miserable, mountainous pauper; you interloper; you unrefined, irresponserble, unregenerate female, do you know what you have done in thus outraging ME??I’m a respecterble woman, respecterbly connected.?I’m here in a responserble station.?When Mr. Holcroft appears he’ll drive you from the dwelling which you vulgarize.?Your presence makes this apartment a den.?You are a wild beast–”
“Hi’m a vile beastes, ham hi?” cried Mrs. Wiggins, at last stung into action, and she threw her lighted pipe at the open mouth that was discharging high-sounding epithets by the score.
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