, 1896-07-25

fellow men, he at once gave up all ef-
forts to track the truan paste. and SIM
ply popped his apples into the oven to
bake.
1t was now about 2 $50, and the fire
was getting hotter than pretty much
anything on earth, unless perhaps it
was Mr.. Meek. He turned all the damp
ers, opened oil the doors, and took of
all the Ids. This resulted most salts
factorily; the fire began to cool. 1t
didn't stop.
1t got, if anything, a little low. Aft
Ell that it got very low. Then it went
oat. Ea rushed for a kindling, and
nearly took hin head of on a clothes
line. just as he had got nicely through
expressing his views on clotheslines in
general, and that clothesline in particu-
lar, he Went about twice as far toward
taking his head off on the same clothes
line on his way back.
The gentlest of natures when reused
are often the most terrible. Mr.. Meek
became very terrible. He used up enough
kindling. profanity and coal oil to have
ignited the pyramids Of Egypt. He
stamped and showed and poked and
banged and cursed and shook till even
the cat-and it had had its dinner-was
displeased with him, and departed to
the outer kitchen to try the oysters,
which the dilatory grocer had just de-
posted on the table without waiting to
parley with Mr.. Meek. He was a wise
grocer and had heard enough.
When, about five minutes later, Mr..
Meek discovered that the cat had found
the oysters to its taste, he became even
less calm. Had the cat been around
(but, like the grocer, it had heard
enough, and taken Al unobtrusive de-
parture) it is highly probable that a
considerable majority of its nine lives
would have come to All abrupt termina-
ton.
At this stage, to console the unfortu-
nate man, the fire began to go again.
Once started it didn't stop. In about
five minutes it had burned up what re-
manned Of pretty much everything ex-
cept a large pot of green tea and a small
portion of Mr.. Meek. The chop that the
cat hadn't eaten was especially we'll
done. 1t could be quite safely left on
the window sill with a whole legion of
cats around it. Mr.. Meek, however,
simply left it in the coal bin. In point
Of either color or hardness it would have
been difficult to have found u more fit
ting resting place for it.
Then there came over Mr.. Meek's face
a terrible expression. he brought in a
pail lit was the scrubbing pail which
lo Iol rpiafaEnp for tho c,rar poi1 Int
no matter) and poured the soup carefully
into it, throwing the pan about five feet
into the sink next he scrapcd the rota-
toes into the same pail and again another
pan followed the course of the first in
getting to the sink; then he poured the
tomatoes on top of the potatoes, and
still a third pan got to tho sink with
unusual r%apidity. 1t cannot be definitely
stated whether or not Mr.. Meek, in do
ing this, was actuated by the desire tt
prepare som famous hunters dish rel
ished in the dear old camping days gone
by, but certain it is no o did he ge
the tomatoes nicely on top of the pota
toes, than he took the whole thing ant
tossed it. pail md all, into the QUITE
lane.
This accomplished. he proceeded t
make u meal off the cold ham and som
} bread and butter-the cooking butter
} Of course.
Just a he was finishing Mrs. Nee
returned. why, James," she erie
; cheerfully. you never Ser the cab ft
me and l waited nearly an hour"
"No," said her husband c.lml,
. "I've been terribly Busy. Men frol
. New York--just got hcn,e n little viii
: ago. This is a very good hama shad
overdone, though, isn't it?'
"Perhaps a shade less wouldn't hay
hurt it. Let ne get you a piece of pie!
mo. thank youl No cold Pie fer m
! when thorc'ie hot apples i'll the over
I'll tell you what you might do. Yo
might bring 'on in if you're not to
tired"
Mrs. Meek departed on her mission
In a few moments she r~earpeared, an
without moving II muscle. placed tn
plate of baked apples before her lort
and master. They We're about the siz'
Of walnuts ard the colcr Of ebony
Judging by Tic way they ratified OIL the
plate they were rather harder than flint.
Mr.. Meek rose with an awful look il
his eye.
"I'm afraid" observed his wife,
They're like the ham-just a shade
overdonc."
"If ever ! catch that cat" remarked
MI. Meek rs that sleek feline purred
past him with u playful frisk of its tail,
"Irl break every bone i'll its body
only he described its body with sundry
adjectives that were very strange to the
ears Of Mrs. Meek. At least SO she said
when she described the occurrence tt
her bosom friend, Mrs. Muggins, mex
day.-Truth.
wake UP. Jacob. day IL breaking!
10 said De Wits Little Early Riser,
to the man who had taken them h
arouse his sluggish liver. Chas. N