"Tis right ye are, ma'am; ’tis by renting rooms we kape alive..."See in text(The Furnished Room)
Women in O. Henry's time had few ways to earn a living. It was common for women to lease a house or a big flat and then sublet most of the rooms. This phrase suggests that both these women are not merely managers but owners or lessors of small buildings.
"It was Mrs. McCool's night to go with the can for beer..."See in text(The Furnished Room)
Saloons selling draft beer are almost exclusively frequented by men. If Mrs. Purdy and Mrs. McCool want to drink beer, they can buy a pail of draft beer to take out. The fact that these two women have a regular routine of drinking beer together shows that they know each other well.
