The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-04
HOW THAT METER WORKED.
Tho Family Was Ont OF Town, but for
Once the Gas Bill Was Correct.


Once the Gas Bill Was Correct.
There was fire in his eye that morning
rs he boarded an uptown elevated rail-
road train on his way to the gas office.
1--WE got them this time" he NUT
tered savagely, land they will have n
hard time i'll explaining the freaks of
that meter, am thinking"
The clerk i'll the gas Office came for
ward to attend to the wants of Mr.. b.
few minutes later. B. was mad through
and through now. He had worked him
self into almost n rage by thinking of
the outrageous charge which the gas
company had made.
"See here" he blurted out, eff 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 rs 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 contentcd frame of mind
"Well!' 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.
"All right Great Jehosaphat! SEQ
here, young man, that bill is for about
the same amount that pay in the win
ter, isn't it,"
The clerk examined the books again
and replied that the last assertion was
true.
Exactly" continued B., "and i'll spite
of the fact that my house has been closed
up for three months and not soul has
been i'll it, my gas bill is just as big us
| it is when my family is all at home
| do you call that?'
This was rather a tough one for the
clerk, and there was n CLEAN of triumph
i'll the eye of the customer rs the clerk
hesitated. Would Mr.. B. have time t.
go up to the house with an inspector to
discover the leak?
Certainly" he said, with the air Of Il
man who has Won an important battle.
and then he made some sarcastic re-
marks about the leak"
MIR. B. and the Inspector examined the
meter, and sure enough since the last
record had been taken it had gone on
inlus.riously at the same rate as it had
evidently been moving for the last three
months. Then they went on up into the
h"1se. no smell OF escaping gas met
tEcll. The inspector examined the burn
ers III the Eall, parlor, dining room,
kitchen and bedrooms. Everything
seemed TO be all right. He began to
look nystified, while Mr.. B. became
more exnltant every moment. Matches
were lighted and placed near all the
joints, but without effect. The leak
still remained mystery.
at 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. began to look uneasy. He
opened the bathroom door, and the first
thing he saw was q sickly looking flame
of gas. The Stats in the window blinds
were partly open and the sunlight made
the gas flame look pale. But there it
was, turned on almost full force The
inspector saw it at the same time
That's a 6-foot burner, and it's burn
ing about five feet an hour" he said
quietly.
Mr.. B. looked foolish. He made n
mental calculation. Five feet an hour,
twentyfour hours n day, thirty days a
month, and three months. p Sas bill of
about fifteen dollars He only uttered
one word, and that began with a big D..
Then he paid the bill and gave the in
| spector two dollars to say that the leak
was due to the carelessness of the serv-
ants i'll the kitchen.-New York Tribune.