Evening star., 1897-03-06
THAT |naHUA1|Ne 0MElET|
FREDERICK fA1MER

Copyright, 1887, BY the BacReller syrdlcate1
Written for The Evening Star.a
Prof. Hilsdrup tugged at the bell rope for
the second time, and g1ared more savagely
than ever at the beautiful thing in crispy
brown and yellow lying between two sprigs
OF parsley. Such ffown when aimed at
such an omelet was Unworthy Of any fair
minded man. All Of Mrs. Hodgson's ONE
let's were wonderful. and this was one of
her best 1t looked so light as to enjoin
haste In eating It lest a draught should
take it out of the open window into the
garden as easily as If it were a thistle
blow; SO appetizins as to pardon before
hand the breach Of good manners in cry
Ing aloud for another as soon as one had
finished 1t. But the professor regarded 1t
as an enemy which had treacherously
stolen into his presence with murderous In
tent. Aggravation had followed aggrava-
ton ever since he began the day an hour
ago with the headache, which promised
bilious attack In the near future.
When he had taken Mrs Hodgson's draw
ing room floor, with a sitting room looking
out on delightful little garden and the
bare walls Of the British Museum some
was breaking, and settled down to work on
his Isaac Newton and His Compeers,''
such an omelet had come up In the oom-
pany of well-loaded fruit stand for his
back from the plate with only faint trace
of yellow left on it he determined to have
that omelet's counterpart every morning.
He had 1t and enjoyed it with the leisureIy
taste that enriches life for q man of fifty-
four, until a friend who introduced him to
mutton pie luncheons In the British Mu-
scum restaurant assured him that eggs In
any form whatever were the making of
biliousness.
In truth. between mutton pies and hard
work. the professors stomach was quite
out of order. He imagined 1t to be worse
than 1t was, thus making 1t worse than it
all to the omelet. To send up an omelet
after he had ordered a mutton chop ap-
pealed to him on this particular morning
as downright mutiny. Mrs. Hodgson was
power. he thought. He tugged at the bell
and scowled. and determined to have an
understanding" at once.
Good morning. professor said Mrs.
Hodgson herself, as she entered.
Don't you know" growled the professor
that l am of bilious temperament and
omelets are not good for me?'
One OF my omelets?" she asked doubt
fully. She had never seen the professor
in such a mood before.
All omelets are alike. madamT'
Mine are no better than anybody's else!'
she gssped.
professor a
cold hard voice. Il told Harriet last night
that l most especially wanted a mutton
chop for breakfast
'Then-I ate it!''
you ate it?"
''Yes-I didn't know Harriet didn't say
anything to me about 1t. 1 supposed you
would have an omelet, as you always have
had"
Always! Always for three months! It's
wonder that have anything in my body
except Iiver!' He tried to annihilate the
omelet with one glance and Mrs. Hodgson
with another. b
When I saw only one chop in the larder'
said Mrs. Hodgson. her natural snap and
dignity returning, Il supposed 1t was for
me, Of course as l usually have a mutton
chop for breakfast" ,I' 70
.'Ah! You don't eat. your own omelets-'
You dent eat your own manuscrfptsr'
she replied with asperity. IF you will
walt only few minutes. II will send out
for chop" she added more pleasantly
No.. said the professor, sitting down at
the table with the aif of a martyr mo.
am busy man. Mrs. Hodgson. l will eat
this now that 1t is here. And Mrs. Hodg-
son, l wish you would not interfere with
the tnop papers per, on, on my desk Any more Don't
away anything you find on the ffoorr'>.
But. sir, you showed fne how to fix
them when you first came. and you said I
did 1t so nicely and saved you a lot of
trouble"
This was too much. The professor felt
that his dignity was at stake.
Mrs. Hodgson." he Numbered. Il shall
leave when my week is up!"
She tossed her head and said, Every
weLl! with aggravating sweetness. The
professor settled down to his breakfast,
muttering something about .impudent wo-
men,. once out In the hall, Mrs. Hodg-
son stamped her foot and exclaimed, 1.-The
old foolv'
That omelet tasted uncommonly well, as
II to tantalize him. He ate it all. even to
loof frnr
still further. Then he went over to his
desk to write. His pen his paper. his note
book, were where Mrs. Hodgson had placed
them. which was just where they ought to
be. This also was most tantalizing. Yet q
few minutes later. he found himself carry
| Ing his overcoat downstairs on his arm as
usual. and harboring faint notion that he
ought to forgive Mrs. Hodgson. She was
hall, and Harriet was near her receiving
some order.
Mrs. Hodgson, would you-ah"-he asked
| politely
Harriet" said Mrs. Hodgson. as she con-
| tinued to snip off dead leaves "help the
gentleman on with his overcoat."
| AS ne went out the professor slammed
| the door SO hard as fairly to make the
| mower pots tremble. but Mrs. Hodgson only
| smiled. She had recovered her dignity and
her faith In her art, despite sour criticism
| The professor determined never to forgive
| hef now. TO prove 1t he ate voraciously OF
|
| result was indigestion, which he attributed
| to the omelet.
He was rudely awakened next morning
by Harriet. who was sweeping and busting
IN his sitting room. Heretofore Mrs. Hodg-
| son had made 1t a point to attend to this
| herself, doing 1t SO quietly that the pro-
| fessor was never disturbed. However he
| had his chop for breakfast and everything
| else even to the overcoat lying on the chail
| where he had thrown II the night before
| was as he had requested.
| After ransacking the drawers of his desk
| and paving over the disordered papers or
| top of 1t in vain search for his notebook
| which contained the fruits of three months
4 researches. he was anything but reassuret
by hazy recollection of having nodded
over the notebook on the previous evening
and having carelessly laid 1t on the chail
at his side. This had happened before, bu
he had always found the notebook on his
desk i'll the morning.
did you see book on the foor?' ht
cried to Harriet. when she had answered
the fierce ringing of the bell.
You-you said anything on the floor
Find 1t! Find it!' he thundered. Don
dare to come back without it!'
Poor Harriets face burned as she wen
down stairs. for she knew,lf the professor
didn't. that the refuse wagon had callet
l vrntr