ut of New York."

"My Ray's got it grand in Kansas City! I wish you could see her closet
room and her pantry--as big as my whole kitchen! A girl could do worse
than Kansas City or Cleveland."

"I always say," remarked Birdie, "when I get engaged it makes no
difference where he goes."

"That's the right way to feel, Miss Birdie. Some day, if Marcus should
ever marry--and I'm the last one to stand in his way--if he gets his
promotion to the Newark factories and the girl he picks out don't like
Newark, then she's not the right girl," said Mrs. Gump.

"Newark," said Mrs. Katzenstein, "is a grand little town. Whenever we
pass through on our way to Kansas City Birdie always says what a sweet
little town it is. Mrs. Silverman, have another cup of coffee."

The short winter day sloughed off suddenly, and it was dark when they
rose from the table. "So late!" exclaimed Mrs. Mince. "I got a girl that
can't so much as put on the potatoes. Honest, the servant problem gets
woise and woise."

"Sh-h-h!" cautioned Mrs. Katzenstein, placing her forefinger across her
lips and glancing warningly toward the kitchen. "Tillie," she whispered,
"ain't such a jewel neither; but she's honest, and I'm glad enough to
have anybody these days. Birdie, she's always fussing with me because I
do too much in the kitchen; but why should my husband have his coffee
so it don't suit him? Children don't understand--they're too much for
style."

"In my little flat, with Etta married and gone," chimed in Mrs. Adler,
"I'm better off without a girl. I got a woman to come in and clean three
times a week, and me and Ike go out for our supper. I got it better
without the worry of a girl."

"I give you right. If I'd listen to Marcus I'd keep a servant, too--a
servant when I got my troubles without one!"

"Ain't that jus' like papa, Birdie? He always says: 'Salcha, you take it
easy now; when one girl isn't enough keep two'--as if I didn't have
enough troubles already!"

"Good-by, Mrs. Katzenstein!" Mrs. Kronfeldt inserted a
tissue-paper-wrapped package carefully within her muff. "You got good
taste in prizes--salts and peppers always come in handy."

"That's the way me and Birdie felt when we picked them out--you can't
have too many of them."

"And, Birdie, you come over with your mamma some afternoon when Ruby's
home. That girl with her society and engagements--I never see her
myself! This afternoon she saw vaudeville with Sol Littleberger. He's in
of