Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-11-26
HOW THAT METER WORKED.

The Family Was Out Of iowa. but foP
Once the Gas hin Was Correct.
There was fire in his eye that morning
- he boarded an uptown elevated rail-
road train on his way TO the gas Office.
I've got them this time" he NUT
tered savagely, land they will have
hsrd time In explaining the freaks OF
that meter, am thinking"
The clerk In the gas Office came for
ward to attend 10 the wants Of Mr.. b.
few minutes later. b. was mad through
and through now. He had worked HIM
self into almost . rage by thinking of
the outrageous charge which the gas
company had made.
"See here" he blurted ont. ''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
no went back and compared the bill
with the books. He came back evident
" in the same contented frame of mind.
"Well!' from Mr.. b., and the word
sounded like the report of 4 gun.
'.The bill appears to be all right, re-
piled the clerk as calmly as before.
"All right Great Jehosaphat! Ses
here, young man, that bill is for about
the same amount that pay in the win
Yer, isn't it,
The clerk examined the books again
and replied that the last assertion was
| true.
Exactly" continued B., "and in spite
of the fact that my house has been closed
up for three months and not soul has
been in it. my gas bill is just as big Is
it is when my family is all at home.
What kind Of a way Of doing business
do you call thatf"
This WIS rather tough one for the
| clerk, and there was CLEAN Of triumph
In the eye of the customer as the clerh
nesitated. Would Mr. B. have time Il
go up to the house with an inspector tG
discover the leak?
Certainly" he said. with the air OF 9
man who has won an important battle
and then he made some sarcastic re-
marks about the "leak."
Mr.. B. and the inspector examined thu
meter, and sure enough since the las
record had been taken it had gone OF
industriously at the same rate rs 1t had
evidently been moving for the last thres
months. Then they went on up into thu
house. No smell of escaping gas me-
them. The inspector examined the burn
ers in the hall, parlor, dining room
kitchen and bedrooms. Everything
seemed to DO all right. He began K
look mystified. while Mr.. B. became
more exultant every moment. Matches
were lighted and placed near all TIT
joints. but without effect. The leal
still remained mystery.
1T must be in the walls or ceiling,
said the inspector at last, land it mus
be found, or the whole blamed hous'
might be blown up some day"
Mr.. Il. began to look uneasy. a.
opened the bathroom door. and the frs
thing Le saw was sickly looking fam
of gas. The Stats in the window blind
were partly open and the sunlight mad
the gas flame look pale. But there
was, turned on almost full force. TIL
inspector saw it at the same time.
That's 6-foot burner. and it's burn
ing about FIVE feet an hour" he sal
quietly.
Mr.. B. looked foolish. He made
mental calculation. Five feet an hour
twenty-four hours day, thirty days
month, and three months. 2 gas bill G
about fifteen dollars He only uttere
one word. and that began with a big
Then he paid the bill and gave the il
spector two dollars to say that the lea
was due to the carelessness of the sery
ants in the kitchen.-New York Tribune