The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-09-28
OFF AT THE METER.

Vernal Choice was pretty and COM
modious villa and Dovecottam select
and salubrious suburb. To the happi-
ness of Mr.. and Mrs. Maurice Green
lately made almost complete by the ar
rival Of the veriest cherub that ever
came down from heaven-there were
but two drawbacks The first was Of
Maurioe's making. He had ridiculous
fad about gas fittings. He believed them
to be in chronic state of leakiness. He
told his long suffering wife almost
daily that more gas escaped through
unsupported cracks and defective joints
than served to illuminate the coy
rooms of Vernal Choice.
Mrs. Maurice GREEN'S bugbear was
burglars. Nothing could shake Ter con-
viotion that when a burglar TOOK his
clark suburban wa-'' tive
would be, by decree = nal
Choice. Thus it came to pass that
nightly, while Maurice was turning off
the gas at the meter-he would on no
account allow any one else to do 1t, as
"gas is such tickle thing''-his little
wife was ON her knees in the bedroom,
not, as might be supposed. saying her
prayers-though she made the same
kneeling serve both purposes-but tim
idly peering under the lowered terra
Gotta valances for the burglar that never
came
Sometimes it would happen that the
gas popped out just as she was in the
act Of raising the curtain that might
reveal the tragedy of her life, and then,
with a little scream, she would seek
the matches-she never could put her
hand readily ON the matches-and light
the delicately shaded candle on the
dressing table, ere proceeding with her
search and her devotions. At such times,
when Maurice assembled from the under
ground regions where the gas meter
melted out its dole to the company of
his wife above stairs, she would rate
him right soundly for SO gentle a little
body for what she styled his "absurd
fad" about turning the gas off.
What do few extra feet of gas sig
Nifty, when three precious lives might
some night be- sacrificed for lack of a
light?" she would exclaim, with as
much dramatic fervor as if she had
been before row of footlights and a
crowded pit instead of a blue tinted,
corrugated candle and mildly scornful
husband
When Maurice wished to be wither-
ing, he was always studiously allitera-
tive in his choice of words. He never
failed to pooh pooh the burglar notion.
He said it was the merest moonshine,"
and that there were "crowds of costlier
cribs to crack than Vernal Choice, you
bet
Mrs Green, as rule, deigned no
answer. She hated slang and wondered
how a man of Maurice's sense-except
upon the meter question-could stoop
to its use. She generally refrained from
saying SO, however, like the sensible
little woman she was, and, resignedly
filling the baby's feeding bottle and
tucking the little cherub, with sundry
croonings, in its bedside cot, retired for
the night, leaving Maurice to blow out
the corrugated candle.
1t was winter and it was midnight.
Maurice had cold, and SO had the ba-
by. The little cherub, in fact, had a
touch of bronchitis. and his hard
breathing as he slumbered restlessly in
his little cot plainly testified the fact
through the darkness.
Il wonder murmured Mrs Green,
as she lay listening to the troubled
breathing of the child ON the one hand
and the influenza snore of her husband
on the other-"I wonder if the little
pet is warm enough. I'm anxious about
his little chest, bless him. I'd take him
into my bed, only Maurice doesn't like
it. The little fellow kicks the clothes
off SO. What could do to prevent him
from taking cold afresh? Happy
thought There's that little wooden
wrap in the spare bedroom. It's either
in the middle drawer of the dressing
table or in the wardrobe, l know. Poor
Maurice He would willingly go and
find it for me, but l wouldn't disturb
him tonight for the world I'm glad
succeeded in persuading him to sleep in
his dressing jacket. Those nasty infiu-
enza colds need care, and I'm so apt to
uncover him in reaching over to baby.
I'll slip into the next room myself"
Thus soliloquizing she quietly got of
bed-for where baby came in fear flew
out-pushed the turned back bed clothes
gently against her husbands back, SO
that he would not miss her, and proceed
ed to feel for the matches The little
receptacle at the bed head was empty.
Not a match. ''Oh, dear. dear, why
will Maurice insist upon turning the
gas off at the meter, especially when
baby is unwell?" she sighed as she
slipped into her dressing gown, which
fortunately was hanging on the brass
knob at the foot of the bed.
Slippers she could not find. Nil des-
peranduml She knew to foot where
the wrap was, or at least she thought
she did, and she would know it the
moment she laid finger on it. The lit
tie cherub in the cot coughed in chok-
ing manner. Light or no light, the wrap
must be found, and without further de-
lay the little mother walked gingerly
into the next room.
No one could fail to find the ward
robe, as it was the first article of furni-
ture encountered on entering the room.
When its door stood open, it was posi-
BILE to view oneself from the bedroom
door, for it consisted of three quarter
length mirror in which Mrs. Green was
wont to inspect the "hang" of her lat
est costume.
I'm almost sure it's in the dressing
table drawer" unused Mrs Green,
growing accustomed to the darkness
and assisted by suspicion of moonlight
that shed pale, uncertain light both
through the skylight on the landing and
the window opposite the wardrobe. Act
ing upon this thought, she ignored the
wardrobe for the present, crossed the
room to the dressing table, and after
sundry clickings of little brass handles
and tentative pulls at wrong drawers at
last opened the right one, but failed to
feel the wrap.
st must be in the wardrobe after
all, she thought, and accordingly clos
ed the drawer with some noise, tripped
across the dark room, opened the ward
robe door with some difficulty and bur-
led herself in its spacious recesses.
Maurice was heavy sleeper, and
consequently apt to be bit bemuddled
ON first awaking-more especially in the
-. g this particular night, after ap-
parently dreaming for full fortnight
of excursions and alarums," he awoke
with violent start. The room, to him,
was pitch dark. There was not even the
suspicion of moonlight on this side of
the house. Besides, the blinds were
down. He sat up, every nerve and sim
ew taut now. He was fully awake.