The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-07-27

DdllhCtu5 OA u )lteIAt dltsiAl ttbONS e1tS
gas. did not boil over.
The table was set' by this time and
drawn under the gas. Three plates.
Touchy and had to share plate. Some
salt on a piece of programme and in the
center Of the table tho soap dish filed
with ain--bought especially for me, they
said, and which ON pain Of death was
to eat. Since dislilzed strawberry jam
it wasn't q cheerful prospect. In the
midst of much excitement over the dis
covery that / had cut the cheese too
large, and SO retarded the melting. the
water began to sizz. didn't like to say
anything, SO / waited. When Touchy
and Diggers were quarreling among
themselves shouted cautiously: 81 think
it's going to boiln
! wasn't heard. The position was an
awful one. They hadn't told me what to
do beside to tell them, and it certainly
was going to boil.
MIR. Nedl Oh, pleaser' / cried. "It's
going to boilF'
.That's what we put it up there for"
Touchy answered.
He always heard when one spoke to
any one else.
But it 10 boiling" walled in anguish,
as the water sizzled over and streamed
down into the strawberry jam. Every
one rushed for me, but not before a rash
endeayor of mine to remove the pan had
imperiled its equilibrium and scalded
my hand.
was dragged from the chair, the
table hauled from under the hot water
fall, and bucket substituted, while Mr..
Ned put out the gas over which the pan
stood. Then in an awful voice Touchy
said: 81 ask the gentlemen present if
they ever heard of a woman deliberately
allowing pan of water to boil over into
dish of strawberry jan?'
No one could recall circums lance so
reprehensible.
You only told me to say when it
boiled, and I did," l whimpered; be
sides, hat strawberry jam, anyhow"
Then it transpired TO the indignation
of the men, that Touchy had bought the
jam because he liked it, and that his in
formation as to my taste in that direc-
ton had been less certain than he had
pretended. This diverted wrath from
me. When it got around again said
forlornly:
II scalded my hand anyhow
Whereat Touchy became enraged-and
uneomplimentary. While he gently
tied up my hand in an unnecessary wet
towel, he babe Diggers witness that I
had been sent for at Ned's suggestion,
and that it would have been much better
had 1 never come.
At this began to cry. but had only
dropped one tear when Mr.. Ned said. in
quick command:
Cheese is ready"
We all few around, hustled the toast
which had burnt little under Touchy's
instructions, on the plates and held our
breath. Ned, with the handle of sauce
pan wrapped in towel and held in one
hand, while he stirred the creamy melted
cheese with the shoehorn we kept for
spoon, sided to the table and poured the
connection over the toast A delicious
aroma filed the air. The cheese was just
at that point of molten excellence that
makes rarebit deserve its name.
Diggers produced from the window sill
bottle of beer. Touchy would have none
and scolded me SO for taking half glass
that took whole one.
GU will come to a drunkard's grave"
he propbesied gloomily, making tea for
himself with the water ! had let boil
over, and adopting manner which l
found SO unbearable that to conciliate
him / asked for some of it. 1t was very
bad. Touchy thought he made lovely tea.
''Goods" he asked, beaming.
81 never before tasted anything like
it," said I, with hasty enthusiasm.
Diggers was the sort of fellow who
never notices thing at the time, Long
after, when gaiety was at its height, he
leaned over and said in loud stage
whisper: ''That was an awful good thing
you said about Touchy's tea" Diggers
was always getting me into trouble that
way
We made lots of noise, and ate enough
cheese to kill regiment. Then Diggers
began telling stories in his dry fashion,
and we laughed till we could eat no
more One story Mr.. Ned stopped in
the middle Of, CHANGING at me: "Quite
rightlp said Touchy, testify; ssput her
into the closet" So into the closet /
went till the story closed with shouts of
laughter.
Ali it was all so pleasant When
remembered how awful the lonely even
ing might have been, blessed Diggers
and Mr.. Ned and Touchy for the three
incest men in the world.
Eating over, we piled the dishes in the
hallway, as the waiter girl who had
s'sneaked' things for US had directed,
and / cleared the table of crumbs for
poker Touchy never let me play. 1t.
angered him if lost and it angered him
if won, but he didn't mind my holding
the bank, SO sat by Mr.. Ned with the
box of chips in my lap. Touchy, on the
other side of me, kept winning. / was
very happy. 1t was all so cheerful; and
since was rather useful lighting
matches for cigars, picking up stray
chips and so on, and since kept very
quiet, they were all more than usually
gentle to me. Presently Touchy declared
he lost whenever arose, so I had to sit
| quite still Then the interest of the
game grew and they forgot all about me.