Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-24
The STORY Tellfr.
AN UNDERSTANDING -
THE INSULATING OMELET.
BY FREDERICK PALMER.

Profosser Hilsdrup tugged at the
bell-rope for the second time, and
glared more savagely than ever at tht
beautiful thing in crispy brown ano
yellow lying between two sprigs O.
parsley. Such a frown, when aimee
at such an omelet, was unworthy o.
any fair.minded man. All of Mrs
Hodgson's omelets were wonderful
and this was one of her best. 1t look
ed so light as to enjoin haste in eat
ing it, lest little draught should take
it out of the open window into the
garden as easily as if it was thistle
blow; so appetizing as to pardon be-
forehand the breach of good manners
in crying aloud for more as soon as
one had finished it. But the professor
regarded it as an enemy which hao
treacherously stolen into his presence
with murderous intent. One aggra.
vation after another had followed
since he began the day, an hour ago
with a headache which promised q
bilious attack in the near future.
When he had taken Mrs. Hodgson's
drawing.room floor, with sitting
room looking out on delightful little
garden and the bare walls of the Brit
ish museum, some three months before
Just as the winter was breaking, and
settled down to work on his "Isaac
Newton and His Compeers," such an
omelet had come up in the company Of
a well-loaded fruit stand for his first
breakfast. As he pushed his chair
back from the plate with only faint
trace of yellow left on it, he deter
mined to have that omelet's counter.
part every morning. He had it, and
enjoyed it with leisurely taste that
enriches life for a man of 81, until
friend, who introduced him to mutton
pie luncheons in the British museum
restaurant, assured him that eggs were
the making of biliousness.
In truth, between mutton pies and
hard work, the professors stomach was
quite out of order. He imagined it to
be worse than it otherwise would have
been, and blamed all to the omelet
To send up an omelet after he had or
dered mutton-chop, appeared to him
on this particular morning as down
right mutiny. Mrs. Hodgson was get
ting him altogether too much in hel
power. He tugged at the bell and
scowled, and determined to have ar
understanding" at once.
"Good-morning, professor" 1t was
Mrs. Hodgson herself who had enter
ed.
"Don't you know" he growled
"that am of a bilious temperament
and omelets are not good for me?"
zone of my omelets?" she asked
doubtfully. She had never seen the
professor in such a mood before. She
was at once indignant and chagrined
Gall omelets are alike, madam"
"Mine are no better than anybody
else's?"
MADAM" continued the professor.
in a cold, hard voice, ~ told Harriet
last night that most especially want.
ed mutton-c for breakfast"
"Then-I ate it,"
"You ate it?
"Yes-I didn't know. Harriet didn't
say anything to me about it. l sup,
posed you would have an omelet, as
you always had"
"Always Always 4! For three
months! It's wonder that l have
anything in my body except liver y
He tried to annihilate the omelet with
one glance, and Mrs. Hodgson with
another.
"When I saw only one chop in the
larder," said Mrs. Hodgson, her natu.
raj snap and dignity returning, ~
supposed it was for me, of course, as
usually have a mutton-chop for break
fast"
"Ah! You don't eat your own
omelets ?"
"You don't eat your own manu-,
scripts" she replied with asperity.
eff you will wait only few minutes
I will send out for chop" she added,
more pleasantly.
"No," said the professor, sitting
down at the table with the air Of
martyr. "No. I am a busy man,
Mrs. Hodgsop. 1 will eat this now
that it is here. And, Mrs. Hodgson,
wish you would not arrange any
papers on my desk any more. Don't
touch my desk. You can throw away
anything you find on the floor"
"But, sir, you showed me how to
arrange them when you first came,
and you said ! did it so nicely, and
saved you lot of trouble"
This was too much. The professor
felt that his dignity was at stake.
"Mrs. Hodgson," he thundered, II
shall leave when my week is up!"
She tossed her head and said, every
WE'LL" with aggravating sweetness
The professor settled down to his
breakfast, muttering something about
''impudent women" Once out in the
hall, Mrs. Hodgson stamped her foot
and exclaimed, "The old fool"
That omelet tasted uncommonly
we'll, as if to tantalize him. He ate il
all, even to the last fragment, which
tantalized him still further. Then he
went over to his desk to write. His
pen. his paper, his notebook, were