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OUR WASH-LADIES
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citement that goes with it, is necessary for some natures, for most natures, the only one left them for outlet, and revenge for social injustice. Perhaps it is the most ambitious ones (which is but another name for quality) who need outlet most. It is a way of getting back at life. I recognized it as such in Mrs. Gallegar's case, and felt more grief than anger when she suddenly departed, leaving us as badly in the lurch as she could arrange to, with three weeks' accumulation of washing on our hands and no word to say whether it was her distinguished pleasure to ever come again or not. Situations of this sort are always complicated by fear of illness or other conditions of sordid experiences that one must not make harder. So much better is it in a world like this to be offended than to give offense. I thought it over carefully, and decided that Mrs. Gallegar had given herself the pleasure of deliberately deserting us.

Events proved this assumption to be correct, and I began again the weary search for a substitute, denying Mrs. Gallegar the gratification of knowing what extreme inconvenience she had occasioned us. Perhaps I was