osely observed, as there is gossiping,
chattering, and laughing, while, as always happens, the young quizz the
old, and the latter censure the light-headedness of the girls and the
general degeneracy of the age.

And just as there was a choir-leader on the floor below, so was there a
gossip-leader in the balcony above. This was Puppy Reiss, a vulgar,
greenish woman, who found out about everybody's troubles, and always had
a scandal on her tongue. The usual butt of her pointed sayings was poor
Schnapper-Elle, and she could mock right well the affected genteel airs
and languishing manner with which the latter accepted the insincere
compliments of young men.

"Do you know," cried Puppy Reiss, "Schnapper-Elle said yesterday, 'If I
were not beautiful and clever, and beloved, I had rather not be alive.'"

Then there was loud tittering, and Schnapper-Elle, who was not far
distant, noting that this was all at her expense, lifted her nose in
scorn, and sailed away, like a proud galley, to some remote corner. Then
Birdie Ochs, a plump and somewhat awkward lady, remarked compassionately
that Schnapper-Elle might be a little vain and small of mind, but that
she was an honest, generous soul, and did much good to many folk in
need.

"Particularly to Nose Star," snapped Puppy Reiss. And all who knew of
this tender relation laughed all the louder.

"Don't you know," added Puppy spitefully, "that Nose Star now sleeps in
Schnapper-Elle's house! But just look at Susy Floersheim down there,
wearing the necklace which Daniel Flaesch pawned to her husband! Flaesch's
wife is vexed about it--_that_ is plain. And now she is talking to Mrs.
Floersheim. _How_ amiably they shake hands!--and hate each other like
Midian and Moab! How sweetly they smile on each other! Oh, you dear
souls, _don't_ eat each other up out of pure love! I'll just steal up
and listen to them!"

And so, like a sneaking wildcat, Puppy Reiss crept up and listened to
the two women bewailing to each other how they had worked all the past
week to clean up the house and scour the kitchen things, and complaining
about all they had to do before Passover, so that not a crumb of
leavened bread should stick to anything. And such troubles as they had
baking the unleavened bread! Mrs. Flaesch had special cause for
complaint--for she had had no end of trouble over it in the public
bakery, where, according to the ticket she drew, she could not bake till
the afternoon of the very las