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Show I i wfr By ELIZABETH JORDAN I ! H I For six long weeks Mrs. Van Nostrand had given H f - her days to the servant question and her nights to, disturbed dreams through which the "applicants" H f' of her waking hours stalked, a solid and stolid 1 a phalanx- In the beginning she had tried to count ' lliosc who presented themselves in response to the H IU i alluring advertisements her husband had inserted ro ', in several newspapers; but she soon abandoned this M as an unnecessary addition to the severe mental fj! l strain of the experience. German, Swedish, Nor-Bi3S, Nor-Bi3S, I wcgian, Irish, French, and African maids called, Ihcg surveyed appraisingly her charming little apartment, Htn ' listened coldly to ncr enthusiastic recital of the H, simple joys and home comforts awaiting "the right I person," and then, even more appraisingly, dis-I dis-I I appeared. G II It was at this point in the tragedy that Mrs. Van HI Nostrand confided to her friend Mrs. Brown, oyer II -lie -telephone wire, a deep satisfaction in having II cpt no record of the number she had personally IJ . interviewed. "For if I knew," she explained, sadlyvj II "I should certainly have to tell some one. And no II ' one in this wide, wide world, except perhaps Jade, II would ever believe nicl" II "Humph!" said Mrs. Brown, distinctly, "I would! II " ' S'o (Would every woman who has tried to find a. II f.' i general houseworker this year. American womea w)j arc now divided into two classes," she continued, 1 1';'' J warming to her subject and bracing her elbow coni- r'Vv.i fortably on the top of the telephone. "Those who II.-&. j have servants, and those who arc trying to find them. I fP I You'll know the first by their apprehension, the tyl 1 second by their agony. Over the first the sword I is hanging; over the second it is not even doing; thatl" Her fat, comfortable chuckle came to Mrs-. Van Nostrand's cars like a taunting flout from some modern witch's Sabbath. "But never mind," she added, as if she hadrc-ceived hadrc-ceived an encore, "there is one depth you haven't reached. You don't know yet what it is to have one of them come, stay three months, win your affections, realize all your fondest ideals, make herself her-self absolutely indispensable, and then leave because she had suddenly decided to specialize' and work exclusively for 'dc four hundrct.' When that hap- pens you will have touched the bottom of the deepest abyss known to the American homemaker. Telephone me then and we'll take a little trip to ' . Lakcwood." Mrs. Van Nostrand hung up the receiver with a puckered filfn on her pretty, careworn face. It occurred to her, as it had done several times' before, that dear Mrs. Brown, while an admirable woman in many ways, had a huinoV that allied her to Ncro-Shc Ncro-Shc expressed this lowly appreciation to Mr. Van Nostrand in the evening, over the skimpy dinner they were eating in a restaurant, with the one mcrif that it was near their apartment. The lady Jack designated as the "iimpticth cook" had left adruptly that morning, owing to some ruffling jar with the janitor. "That woman loves horrors," he returned, gloomily, gloom-ily, referring to Mrs. Brown. "If there's anything worse coming than what we're getting, I, for one, don't want to know it beforehand. But there can't be. That's dimly comforting. Besides, if we ever do get a good servant, we'll have her hypnotized first, and then we'll put her on a leash the exact length of the fiat." r Heartened by this reflection, he resumed his dinner. din-ner. His wife smiled wanly. Never until then had ' she fully realized her husband's limitations and the disillusioning possibilities of matrimony. To have Mrs. Brown jest airly over one's misfortunes1 was annoying. To have Jack do it was a vital crisis in life. In that supreme moment she iclt herself alone and at bay against the world. When human souls arc taxed beyond strength help comes from some source, call it what we will. The next day a young Danish woman came "within Mrs Van Nqstrand s field of vision. She asked several respectful and intelligent, questions, ques-tions, she furnished admirable references, she agreed to come to the Van Nostrauds, and she came All these things were new and strange in the experience of the unhappy house wife, who did not in the least expect her and who waited, for two days after her arrival, m breathless expectation of her prompt departure. She did not go. She remained; she did her work with surprising case, and seemed to have an unconsciousness of her peerless worth that was uncanny. She also confided to Mrs. Van Nostrand that she desired to be called Hedwig-, ' instead of her real name, which was Anna, cxplaiu- I ing that she thought it less "common1" , and she asked I permission to change the bows on her cap, and I expressed a preference for Wednesday instead of I Thursday "out." These were distinctly encourag- 1 ing incidents, marking a progress never reached bc- H fore, and certainly justifying some hope that she intended to remain a week or two; but her mistress guardedly refrained from taking them seriously. She also resolutely diverted Jacks gaze from the rainbow of promise on which ho gazed with dazzled delight, and she met Mrs. Brown's inquiries with non-committal replies that aroused the generous solicitude of that lady. "You arc not going to let this warp your nature, arc you?" asked Mrs. Brown, anxiously. "Sonic-times "Sonic-times it does, you know. I've known noble women whose, characters were ruined by it. Meet it as a test, dear as a source of development and all that. Make the sen ants stepping stones toward higher things I" Mrs. Van Nostrand expressed an immediate and lively willingness to make the servants stepping stones, but conceded that she was a little vague as to the higher things. "I've had my aspirations, like other women," she sighed, "but I'm reduced now to a very matter-of-fact and practical plane. If I can persuade some servant to live with me and do my work until we I' give up this apartment in May life need offer me nothing more." Hedwig sought her a little later and turned on her a radiant blond face. "I yust clean all dc silver," she observed, affably. "You got nice silver an' dishes. V'cn we give little : dinner parties we make de table look fine. Wen you going to have fr'en's dine 'wit' you? I like to i get op little dinners!" Mrs. Van Nostrand felt her being leap, as Danae's ; j, may have when the shower of gold began; but she jj was a woman of character, arid it showed now. She g heard herself speaking with entire calmness. "Little ' dinners," long dreamed of in the past, had never -taken a more tangible shape than dreams since her marriage four months ago. . . "Wc will have no one until Saturday evening," she said, placidly. "Then wc will have only two guests, so you may get up a nice little dinner for four. That will not interfere with y.our .routine work or the general sweeping and cleaning of Friday." When she returned to her library she sat down to write her first dinner invitation, her chest swelling -with a sense of the greatness of the moment. The note showed however, the stern discipline of past ; , : months. Like all of Mrs. Van Nostrand's recent expressions, it was guarded: s "DEAR EDITH. Do you. and Herbert love us enough to dine with us very informally Saturday evening at half after seven o'clock, and 'ct us try a new cook on you if she is still with us and strong enough to work? If she is not, we will dine at The Imperial. "Affcciionatclv vours. "HENRIETTA VAN NOSTRAND." The next twenty-four hours brought the reassuring reassur-ing information that the devotion of Edith and her husband was equal to the venture. Mrs. Van Nostrand Nos-trand read their note at the table with a satisfied "Yes, she docs very well," she said, condescendingly, condescend-ingly, "but, like all the rest of them, she needs constant watching and a'grcat deal of training!" The "little dinner" was the first of many, for Mrs. Van Nostrand promptly adapted herself to. her new position as possessor of a chef, and gave two or three dinners for four, and six guests every week. She discovered a stout and capable German woman who was willing to help, on such occasions for ;i small compensation, andas the winter passed the fame of Hcdwig's cooking and the Van Nostrand dinners grew apace. Jack, who was the son of a famous editor, drew into his home 'many distinguished distin-guished artists and men of letters who had known Surrounded by Scvcial Aivc-Strucf: Servants? smile, and the grim reflection that possrbly Edith and Herbert were fond of dining at The Impciial. "Mr. and Mrs. Vcrbcck arc coming to dinner Saturday, Sat-urday, Hedwig," she then said, blithely, "and wc must do our best." Hedwig turned to her with a sudden alert interest she had never shown before. "Verbcck?" she repeated, quickly. "Is dat dc millionaire what lives on Sixty-eight' Street?" "Oh no," replied Mrs. Van Nostrand, carelessly; "quite another family, I think." The face of Hedwig fell. She walked out of the room with a flagging step, her inert hand holding the tray at a dangerously acute angle. Mrs. Van Nostrand looked at her husband with a puzzled frown. " v "Wasn't that odd!" she remarked. "She really seemed disappointed. Perhaps she was once in service with the Verbecks." Saturday evening brought the Verbecks that were not "other" but prompt, optimistic, philosphic an ideal twain on whom to try a domestic experiment. Great was their reward. Mrs. Van Nostrand had planned a ver simple dinner of five courses, and had taken the precaution to order the dessert at the caterer's. She had herself laid and decorated the table and attended to the candles; but even with these old and tried friends her nervousness, as she seated herself, was so great that her first oyster found difficulty in making its way down her contracted con-tracted throat. For a few moments she could not speak. The soft light of the candles seemed to dance before her eyes, and the cheerful voices of her guests came to her from a distance. Then she became be-came conscious that a very deft, quiet figure was moving about the room, that plates were changed without a sound, that Mr. Vcrbcck was uttering almost too cordial commendation of the soup. What had he expected? She drank a spoonful It was steaming hot and perfect. She sat up and began to exercise her role of hostess. Looking back on that dinner, she remembers it as one of the most delightful experiences of her life. Course after course was smoothly served, and tlic viands were so delicately cooked and seasoned that her old friends were wonderingly enthusiastic. Nothing could have been more admirable. Like her husband and her guests, Mrs. Van Nostrand gave herself up to the happiness of the hour. The four lingered over each dish, new stories were told, old memories were recalled. When Hedwig had served the coffee and liqueurs in the- drawing room Mrs. Vcrbcck turned to her friend with a look of inqury. "Well. I like your affectation of modesty about your dinner," she said, "and your mean insinuations about your cook. I suppose this is like sending out your isiting card with 'Dancing' in the corner, when three hundred people qme at twelve and stay till four. Not that wc arc complaining, my dear. If Herbert and I had a pearl of such price we'd never dine out!" Henrietta smiled with fatuous assent. 'She was ' having many new sensations' this cvcimjg, all strangely stimulating. She indulged in the luxury of another. his fatherland Mrs. Van Nostrand, herself the daughter of an eminent Western bishop, presented her letters of introduction, and in time attracted to herself a host of the right kind of people. 'Hedwig soon knew them all, remembered their names, and had j special favorites among them for whom she prepared her best dishes. Occasionally she made personal comments; usually so amusing that her mistress had not the heart to check her artless prattle. , "You got nice fr'en's,' she once said, approvingly; "very nice high-toned peoples. An' I haf heard lau-gwich lau-gwich in dis house what I never heard anywhere else. Such brains dey haf! Dc night Mis. Car-michacl Car-michacl was here my! I bin in dis country twelve vcars, but dat night I couldri't understand von vordl" There was a" smile of pure bliss on her round features as she wandered away. At other times a shadow crossed her fair sky. "Don't you know Mrs. Van der Pcyter?" she asked, wistfully, one morning. Mrs. Van Nostrand admitted ad-mitted with some indifference that she did not. She was deep in her' household accounts; her brow puckered a little oer the discovery that there was a financial side to her simple dinners which was larger than she had realized. Hedwig looked disappointed, dis-appointed, but held her ground These chats with her mistress, whom she really sincerely liked, were bright spots in the day to her, and she had no thought of permitting the exigencies of domestic bookkeeping to prevent them. Her conversational flow rippled on until Mrs Van Nostrand suddenly bccainc aware that the domestic affairs of various members of the "four hundert" were being revealed to her in unctuous detail. "You know my sister, she married dc coachman at de Schuyler Manhattans," ended Hedwig, blithely, "'so dat't how I know about dat scandal. Dc butler, he told my bruddcr-in-law," Mrs. Van Nostrand dropped from the intricate realms of finance into Hcdwig's society, a flush of annoyance darkening her face as she realized that she had apparently been listening to a maid's gossip. It must 1C stopped at once but guardedly. It would never do to offend a paragon of a servant. "Dear me, Hedwig," she said, with an uneasy little laugh, "I know nothing about those people, f never give their private affairs my thought. Shall we try the new fruit salad for dinner?" But Hedwig was deep in reflection. "It's nice to work for dem for de four hundrct," she said, slowly. "Dey got everyt'ing. 1 often t'ink I'd like to work for a nice family in society.' Mrs. Van Nostrand recalled the long array of church and legal dignitaries of her line that stretched far back into the past; and her lips twitched as she realized that she and Jack were found wanting, as to social position, by their excellent servant. Her eves we're brimful of amusement as she 'turned them on Hedwig. but that individual did not see the glance. She was following her own train of thought. "You got nice fr'n's," she repeated, kindly, "but, of course" this with a heavy sigh "dey am t in society." Mrs. Van Nostrand remembered the world-famous artist and the great novelist who only two evenings before, had appreciatively eaten one of Hcdwig's little dinners, Her acquaintance in New York was still limited, but as a girl in her Western home she had been a beauty and a belle; and in Pans and London, where she had been educated, she had friends in such society as Hedwig could barely picture in her dreams. It was a proof of the degradation to which the servant problem reduces woman that for a wild moment some revelation of this social glory was on Henrietta Van Nostrand's lips. She experienced a strong desire to mention casually to this general houseworker the names of some of her titled intimates. But she was a gentlewoman gen-tlewoman and the lowlived moment passed. She turned to her desk with decision. "Here is the menu for dinner, Hedwig," she said, quietly. "There will be no one here except my husband and myself." And Hedwig. feeling for once the superior force of a strong mentality, removed her plump figure lingcringly from the jamb of the door and sought thc retirement of her kitchen. It was at this very hour that Fate directed the footsteps of Mrs. Brown toward the Van Nostrand Nos-trand home. To her the young homemaker con-. con-. Tided this most recent chapter in her domestic experience. ex-perience. x "You know," she ended, despairingly, "she actually looks down on Jack and me because we're not in 'dc four hundert.' It's too utterly absurd, but it's quite true." Mrs. Brown surveyed her with deep sympathy. "Of course," she corroborated. "And I'm sorry for you, my dear but it's the beginning of the end. They're all snobs, and the praise you have been giving her has helped to ruin her. She feels now that she 'is good enough for 'society.' She wants to be, a waitress or a parlor niaid in some well-known well-known family, and she will. I warned you, I told "I'd Like to Work for a Xtcc Family m Society." you it would be the next Step. Better get ready for Lakcwood I give her a month more at the longest." Mrs. Brown was no Cassandra. As the days passed Hedwig grew restless and dissatisfied. She did her work apparently from force of habit, but half hcartcdly; and she entertained numerous cousins cous-ins in the kitchen, who, she afterwards proudfy explained, were Sutlers and coachmen in various families of high societ'. "I can get a place in some nice family any time I want." she said one day. "My bruddcr-in-law, he can get it for me " Then she added, kindly, "Bt J don't like to leave you, Mrs. Van Nostrand, you bin very kind, an' I like dis place." Mrs, Van Nostrand turned to her impulsively. "Then stay, in Heaven's name," she said, desperately. desper-ately. "Try to realize when you are well off, Hedwig. Hed-wig. Mr Van Nostrand and 1 botli. like you and are willing to ,do anything wc can "to make you contented and happy. Wc have never spoken an unkind word to you. We have raised your wages twice in three months. Wc give you a great deal of time to yourself, as you know. Wc have the laundry work done for you. Wc will pay your wages while wc arc away this summer. What more, in reason can you ask?" Hedwig surveyed her with affectionate approval. "You bin very kind," she conceded "but I like to work in a nice family!" After which rejoinder there seemed none for the daughter of the Right Reverend Henry Thurston. Three days later Mrs. Van Nostrand received a cable from an English friend. "Flossie and I sail Celtic June 13," it read "Can you put us up? MARY SEYMOUR." For thp first time in many days Mrs. Van Nostrand Nos-trand broke into song. There was real happiness in this prospective visit of an old schoolmate and another close friend, and it was especially fortunate that -they were coming so soon before Hedwig left! They would not stay long, they were "globe I rotters," and probably prepared to exhaust all New York's attractions in two or three days but. returning re-turning again to brighter reflections. Mrs Van Nostrand Nos-trand decided that it was very sweet to have them. She sought Hedwig at once, and explained that two English friends would arrive within a fortnight and be with her for several days, Copyright 1908 by Harper $ Brothers. All rights reserved. "Of course you won't desert me until they have H gone? she asked, anxiously. With a look of deep H injury at the mere suspicion, Hedwig stoutly asserted H that she would riot, and Mrs. Van Nostrand sent a M cable as hospitably worded as her purse and cable H rates permitted. -uiv m The Celtic 'arrived, and so did "Flossie" and Mary 1 bcymour the former a typical English girl, tall, M pink cheeked, fair haired, wholesome, and athletic' H the latter a matter-of-fact and middle aged English- H woman whose complexion had "gone off a bit," and H whose hair was relentlessly twisted into the un- H yielding British bun. Mrs. Van Nostrand con-, M ducted them with pride to her tiny but exquisite mM spare bedroom and listened with sympathy to their ! announcement that that very day they desired to H sec the Stock Exchange, the clcvaPed tram system,, H Mr. Aanderbilts private gallcrv, "for which we've H invitations, dear,'" the shops on Broadway, Brooklyn "i H Bridge and the Central Park. "And youVc to lunch ImmW with us at the place they call Sherry's, my dear. . IH Notf that wc doubt your cook, but wc want to try H his, remarked the older woman, with true Btitish I Jmmm candor. IH After the exertions of the day, however, they IH were glad to dine quietly at home that evening and Mrs. Van Nostrand prepared for her eight IH o clock dinner with no apprehension. Hedwig-was IH in good hiimor and looked very wholesome in her snowy cap and apron. It was Mr. Van Nostrand H who nearly precipitated a crisis during the second IH "What did you think of the Stock Exchange, H Lady Mary? he asked, casually; and as the English- IH woman replied Mrs. Van Nostrand, who had been IH 'observing with natural pride her guests' prompt IH appreciation of her husband, heard a dull click and jH saw one of her best pieces of cut glass fall from IH Hcdwig's nerveless hand. The maid flushed deeply H as she bent to recover it, and her service during the l 'remainder of the evening was of the faultless kind IH to which she had accustomed them. But when it casually developed over the dessert, due to, some H remark of Lady Mary's, that "Flossie" was not only ' H the youngest, but the best beloved daughter of his IH Grace the Duke of Shropshire, the 'revelation was too much for the simple soul of the Van Nostrands' H servant. She went from the room with almost a stagger that made Mrs. Van Nostrand follow her IH progress with anxious eyes. Then suddenly grasp- IH mg the explanation, Hedwig's mistress permitted tM J herself the luxury of a swift inward chuckle. Late that evening she sought her handmaid with VM instructions concerning breakfast, and found her in the kitchen surrounded by several awe-struck scr- yants from other apartments in the building. These words were hanging on the air as Mrs. Van Nostrand VM walked in on the impressed group: H "I knew de minute I saw dose two' Hedwig was - SM saying solemnly, "wot I was up, against: 'Jadics tM real ladies; not dc kind here in America. But titled bdics wit dc best blood of Europe in dcrc weins1" " Hedwig .rose as she dntcrcd.'and received with J abject deference and humility the new instructions '1 her mistress pleasantly gave her, Mrs, Van Nos- H She Was Deep in Her Household Account. H trand's smile was very cordjal as she returned to her H guests. IH "What an excellent waitress you have, HcnricttaT H remarked the daughter of his Grace of Shropshire, "She seems so bright and intelligent. Don't you fear IH some one may steal her from your" IH "Yes," said Helwig's mistress, "she is very satis- jH factory. But as to her leaving. I'm quite sure that H no one can ever get her away from us nozc!" H Two years later Mrs. Van Nostrand added a post- script to a long letter to Lady Mary Seymour. It IH "You will appreciate the strength of the chains H of devotion that bind Hedwig to our home when I tell you that even the arrival of the baby has not weakened them. She 'adores him and is horribly jealous of his nurse. Of course he makes more work H for her. the blessed darling, and the laundering ct H his little white dresses alone would fill any other H maid's time; but, Hedwig's affection stands the 1 strain. She was in a fair way to spoil him, at first wanted to walk about with him, and rock him to 1 sleep, and do the other unhygienic and unmodern H thincs on which Science frowns so severely nowada H But I read her an extract from one of your letters, , jH describing the up-to-date care your brother's baby IH receives, and Hedwig at once saw the error of her lH ways. She attaches an immense amount of impor- jH tancc to your views on all subjects. You seem to H have Won her entire confidence during your visit Jl in our home." H |