The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-12-09
ANDTHE METER WORKED ON.

There was IRE III MS eye UnaJ luOInlHS
as he boarded an uptown elevated rail
road train, on his way to the gas office.
''Tve got them this time" he muttered
savagely, land they will have hard
time in explaining the freaks of that
meter am thinking"
The clerk in the gas office came for
ward to attend to the wants of Mr.. b a
few minutes later. b was mad through
ana through now. He had worked him
self into almost rage by thinking of the
outrageous charge which the gas co m
pany had made.
''See here" he blurted out, "if this
company doesn't correct that bill I'll
have the whole business indicted for
highway robbery"
The clerk picked up the bill which
| had been SO spitefully thrown down,
and examined it as calmly as if such
outbursts were ordinary affairs. Then
he went back and compared the bill
with the books. He came back evident
| ly in the same cOntented frame of mind.
''Wellr' from Mr.. b and the word
sounded like the report of gun.
The bill appears to be all right" re-
piled the clerk as calmly as before.
GAN right!n Great JehOsophat! See
here, young man, that bill is for about
the same amount that pay in the win
ter, isn't it?'
The clerk examined the book again
and replied that the assertion was true.
Exactly" continued B land in spite
closed up for three months and not a
soul has been in it, my gas bill is just
as big as it is when my family is all at
Ii Of of GAin
| business do you call thatY'
This was rather tough one for the
clerk, and there was CLEAN of triumph
| i'll the eye of the customer as the clerk
| hesitated. Would Mr.. B have time to
90 up to the house with an inspector to
discover the leak?
Certainly" he said, with the air of
a man who had won an important battle,
and then he made some sarcastic re-
marks about the leak
| Mr.. B and the inspector examined the
meter, and sure enough since the last
record had been taken it had gone on
! industriOusly at the same rate as it had
evidently been moving for the last three
months. Then they went up into the
| house. No smell OF escaping gas met
| them. The inspector examined the
/ llell' Hlll'ls hlbiiN LIVING hllNlANli Nll'i
bedrooms. Everything seemed to be all
right. lie began to look myStlied,
while Nj b became more eXultant
every mOmcnt Matches were lighted
and placed near all the points, but with
out effect. The leak still remained a
mystery.
1T must be in the walls or ceiling,
said the Inspector at last, ''and it must
be found or the whole blamed house
might be blown up some day."
Mr.. b be- an to look Uneasy. He
opened the bath room door. and the
first thing he saw was a sicl,ly looking
| flame of ga. The Stats in the window
blinds were partly open, and the sun
hight made the gas flame look pale.
| But there it was turned on full force.
The Inspector saw it at the same time.
That's Il siX-foot burner, and it's
burning about five feet an hour" he
said quietly.
Mr.. b LOGGED foolish. He made a
mental calculation Five feet an hour,
n hours a day, 80 days month, and
three months, a gas Till of about SIS.
| lie only uttered one word, and that be-
gan with biz d. Then he paid the bill
and gave the inspector 81 to say that
the leak was due to the carelessness OF
the servants in the kitchen. -Ner YORK.
! Tribune.