Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-03-04

@''H NV f''t w INV
me, with bis pointed beard, cooked
hat, frock coat, gold stripes and brass
buttons, did not look unlike Bou.
LANCER.
my dear madame" said he. with
one hand on his heart. very like an
imitation Frcnchman in an American
play, Il have called To see you on be,
half of the city of Paris, to attend 10
the municipal regulations in connec.
ton with the cityls Mutual Partisan
Company OF Heating and Illuminating
by Gas"
OH said |, innocently. well,
I Just make out the receipt, and | will
pay the deposit You cannot have
the gas put in too o o 10 please me-"
He removed the books and bric-a.
brac from the center table, putting the
articles carefully On the floor, one by
one. Then he laid his cooked hat on a
chair, and opening portfolioof docu-
mentS, spread them all over the large
round table.
1T is not SO easy. madame" he an
swercd.
He was right; il was not easy. |
came IL this conclusion when he went
away, papers aud all, about nightfall.
In addition to a deliberately written
chapter concerning my pain, I'M
eventual career set down in a ledger,
Sally's Gen. Boulanger carried away
three documents, promising 10 deco
rate them with the state seal, and re-
turn them TO be signed in new place.
The first was an elaborate description
of our family tree, no detail So small
as TO be unwelcome; the second was
devoted 10 personalities concerning
myself-my motivesi in livingin Paris,
or living at all, future intentions, as.
sets, liabilities and political views;
the third WAS Il solemn promise on my
part not in any way 10 maltreat or
abuse the Mutual Partisan company of
Heating and Illuminating by gas, nor
to break or steal its possessions, such
as meters, lead pipe and iron gratings.
Moreover | had personally TO write
down in a book that gas was wanted,
and that l, no other, desired this par
ticular gas.
A few days later | thought the
chamber of deputies had strayed from
their quarters when Sally ushered in
five large, round Frenchmen in heavy
o~vercoats and high silk hats. They
were the landlord, his secretary, an
architect, a builder and a representa-.
tive of the Mutual Partisan company
of Heating, etc. Such a powwow at
once began as would palea ward pri.
mary. The upslot of it was: Where
would have the gas jetsi"
Center lights in the parlor and
dining ROOM" said !, land side lights
in the other rooms"
A oar went up like the board of
brokers in harvest time; they shook
their fists in each others faces and
shook their at me Then they
held each other down and argued with
me, n a lime.
| was so small, so inexperienced.
nothing but a poor little forcignerI'
did | know that gas was a very
dangerous thing!"
did ] realize that if | slept in q
room where there was a gas jet not
Ii of them would be responsible for
my health!"
''But, gentlemen" l ventured to re-
mark, Sin Anlerica We have gas in all
the bedrooms"
"Impossiblel" t.urdered the five.
Contrary TO all law" 1T would be
dangerous 10 children" "Frightful
catastrophes would result" "Why,
in America, of New York, we are told,
they have not even enough of gas TO
properly light the streetsl"
Overwhelmed for a time, | feebly
wondered If we did have gas in all the
bedrooms. The big five, outwardly
polite, but ~inwardly convinced that |
had tried To deceive them. squeezed
single file through the little doors of
all my small rooms, tapping walls.
measuring spaces, and talking against
time. They finally consented To one
gas jet in the dining room, one in the
hall and in the kitchen two-one each
for illuminating and cooking. Sally
sooned learned 10 say ''gaws" or
''gozz," her equivalent for le gaz, and
the word. however uttered, became the
household synonym for interminable.
French law provides hat gas pipe
shall be laid on the outside Of walls,
even if they are frescoed by Bougue-
reau himself. And to discourage sui.
eide, every room where gas is burned
must have a grating about six by
twelve inches connecting with the
hall, and the hall must have a grating
connecting with the outer air. Some.
times Sally used to laugh until she
cried, and stand wiping the tears away
with her apron, while she watched the
workmen. A couple Of masons would
come and dig a hole in the wall. In a
few days a carpenter would come and
put a casing around il. Later on an.
other kind Of a workman would come
and set an iron grating in it. By
and by plumber would amble in,
and with the help Of two or three as
sistants would run some iron pipe
along the wall. Sometimes a paper
hanger would come in twice or three
times with samples; ultimately, with
the idea Of c%oncealing the gas pipe, he
would paste over it some strips Of wall
paper that did not match. One room
being thus well begun, they would go
on with the next one. The masons
would dig another hole, and the pro-
gramme would be repeated.