Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-03-25
AN OMELET.
bY FREDERICK PALMER.
Copyright. 1877

Prof. Hilsdrup tugged at the bell
rope for the second time and pIared
more savagely than ever at the beauti-
full thing in crispy brown and yellow
lying between two sprigs of parsley.
Such a trown when aimed at such an
omelet was unworthy OF any fair
minded man. All of Mrs. Hodgson's
omelets were wonderful, and this was
one of her best. 1t looked so light as
to enjOin haste in eating it lest a
dIaught should take it out of the open
window into the garden as easily as if
it were a thistle blow; so appetizing
as to pardon beforehand the breach of
good manners in crying aloud for an
other as soon as one had finished it.
But the professor regarded it as an
enemy which had treacherously stolen
into his presence with murderous in
tent. Aggravation had followed aggra-
yation ever since he began the day an
hour ago with the headache which
promised a bilious attack in the near
future.
When he had taken Mrs. Hodgson's
.drawing-room floor with sitting-room
looking out on a delightful little gar
den and the bare walls of the British
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 well-load-
ed fruit stand for his first breakfast.
. As he pushed his chair back from the
plate with only faint trace of yellow left
on il, he determined to have that ONE
let's counterpart every morning. He
had it and enjoyed it with the leisurely
taste that enriches life for a man of
"a, until a friend who introduced him
to mutton pie luncheons in the British
museum 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 it to
be worse than it was, thus making it
worse than it otherwise would have
been, and blamed all to the omelet. To
send up an omelet after he had ordered
a mutton chop appealed to him on this
particular morning as downright mutt
ny. Mrs. Hodgson was getting him
altogether too much in her power, he
thought. He tugged at the bell and
sscowled, and determined to have an
Understanding" at once.
Good morning, professor" said Mrs.
Hodgson herself, as she entered.
Don't you know" growled the pro-
fessor, that i am of bilious temper
ament and omelets are not good for
me?''
Zone OF my omelets?" she asked,
4 Al
professor in such a mood before.
'AH omelets are alike, madam"
mine are no better than anybody's
elsel" she gasped.
Madam continued the professor, in
a cold, hard voice, II told Harriet last
night that L most especially wanted
mutton chop for breakfast"
"Then-I ate it,"
''You ate it?"
"Yes-I didn't know. Harriet didn't
say anything to me about it. 1 sup
posed you would have an Omelet, as
you always have had"
Always! Always for three months!
It's a wonder that have anything in
my body except u liver!" He tried to
annihilate the omelet with one glance
when saw only one chop in the
Iarder," said Mrs. Hodgson, her natural
snap and dignity returning, Il supposed
it was for me, of course, as usually
have a mutton chop for breakfast"
"Ah! You don't eat your own ONE
Iets."
You don't eat your own manu-
scriptsl" she replied, with asperity. IF
YOU will wait only a few minutes, l
will send out for chop" she added,
more pleasantly.
NO" said the professor, sitting down
Mt the table with the air of martyr.
NO. / am a busy man, Mrs. Hodgson.
i will eat this now that it is here.
And, Mrs. Hodgson, l wish you would
not interfere with the papers on my
desk any more. Don't touch my desk!
Arrange nothingi Throw away any
thing you find on the floor"
But. sir. YOU showed me how to fix
them when you first came, and you
said / did it so nicely and saved you
a lot of trouble"
That 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: Very |
WELT" with aggravating sweetness.
II ne professor settled down 20 his break |
fast, muttering something about i'm |
pudent women" Once out in the hall, |
Mrs. Hodgson stamped her foot and eN- 7
claimed: THE old fool"
The omelet tasted uncommOnly well, |
:as If to tautalize him. He ate it all, |
even to the last fragment, which tan
.taIized him still further. Then he went |
over to his desk TO write. His pen, his /
paper, his notebook, were where Mrs. |
uodgson had placed them, which was |
lust where they ought to be. This also
was most tantalizing. Yet, few min
utes later, he found himself carrying |
his overcoat downstairs on his arm as /
usuaI. and harboring a faint notion |
that he ought to forgive Mrs. Hodgson.
She Was pruning the flowers on the |