t's why, young feller. Now you know, don't
you!"

"Don't you dare speak to my husband in that manner," I broke in.
Aubrey shook his head at me. It was cruel of him, for I do love a
fight.

"You come out this minute and start that elevator," said Aubrey.

"I'll do nothing of the sort. You'll walk up those five nights of
stairs this night," said the janitor. Oh, how I wished I had that fee
back!

Mrs. Harris plucked imploringly at my skirt.

"Harris, aren't you ashamed of yourself?" I said. "Look at your poor
wife just out of bed, and you have lost this good place by this day's
work. You and your family will not know where to lay your heads within
a week."

"And how do you know that? I'll keep this place as long as I please.
_I_ stand in with the agent. I suppose you think because you've been
good to the children that you can run me, but let me tell you that
you've not done half that you should! So you just shut up and go back
where you belong."

Aubrey made a leap for him, but Mrs. Harris threw herself between them
and I fastened myself to Aubrey's coat-tails. This was more than I had
bargained for.

"No, Aubrey, come. Let us once for all declare our independence. For
some time I have suspected that there was collusion between janitors
and agents. Now let's get to the bottom of it."

By holding out such a prospect to him, I got the Angel up-stairs, where
we poured forth our souls in a letter to the agent.

He called, listened to us with polite incredulity, and said he would
hear Harris's side, as if he wished to judge impartially between two
criminals.

We held on to ourselves while he consulted the gentleman below stairs.
When he came back he said:

"Harris denies everything. Now who am I to believe?"

For once the Angel rose to the occasion.

"Mr. Jepson, you may believe whom you please if you have no more
decency than to put the word of a gentleman against that of a drunken
servant. You have violated the terms of our lease, and unless Harris
is dismissed inside of a week our apartment is at your disposal."

"Very well, Mr. Jardine," said Jepson, "if you insist on our dismissing
a janitor for his first offence without even giving him a second
chance, then there is nothing to do but to agree to your demand."

Aubrey bowed in a truly haughty manner. The Angel!

"I so insist," he said. The agent left us.

"Aubrey," I said, thoughtfully, "we have gained a gallant victory over
the j