ut in the lower hall of the tenement house and
finally stumbled up the stairs. On an upper hall a door was opened and
a collection of heads peered curiously out, watching her. With a
wrathful snort the woman confronted the door, but it was slammed
hastily in her face and the key was turned.

She stood for a few minutes, delivering a frenzied challenge at the
panels.

"Come out in deh hall, Mary Murphy, damn yeh, if yehs want a row. Come
ahn, yeh overgrown terrier, come ahn."

She began to kick the door with her great feet. She shrilly defied the
universe to appear and do battle. Her cursing trebles brought heads
from all doors save the one she threatened. Her eyes glared in every
direction. The air was full of her tossing fists.

"Come ahn, deh hull damn gang of yehs, come ahn," she roared at the
spectators. An oath or two, cat-calls, jeers and bits of facetious
advice were given in reply. Missiles clattered about her feet.

"What deh hell's deh matter wid yeh?" said a voice in the gathered
gloom, and Jimmie came forward. He carried a tin dinner-pail in his
hand and under his arm a brown truckman's apron done in a bundle.
"What deh hell's wrong?" he demanded.

"Come out, all of yehs, come out," his mother was howling. "Come ahn
an' I'll stamp her damn brains under me feet."

"Shet yer face, an' come home, yeh damned old fool," roared Jimmie at
her. She strided up to him and twirled her fingers in his face. Her
eyes were darting flames of unreasoning rage and her frame trembled
with eagerness for a fight.

"T'hell wid yehs! An' who deh hell are yehs? I ain't givin' a snap of
me fingers fer yehs," she bawled at him. She turned her huge back in
tremendous disdain and climbed the stairs to the next floor.

Jimmie followed, cursing blackly. At the top of the flight he seized
his mother's arm and started to drag her toward the door of their room.

"Come home, damn yeh," he gritted between his teeth.

"Take yer hands off me! Take yer hands off me," shrieked his mother.

She raised her arm and whirled her great fist at her son's face.
Jimmie dodged his head and the blow struck him in the back of the neck.
"Damn yeh," gritted he again. He threw out his left hand and writhed
his fingers about her middle arm. The mother and the son began to sway
and struggle like gladiators.

"Whoop!" said the Rum Alley tenement house. The hall filled with
interested spectators.

"Hi, ol' lady, dat was a dandy