The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-08
Cbe bot11e Reading Circle
THE INSINUATING OMELET.

cred her dignity and her faith in her
art, despite sour criticism. The pro-
fessor determined never to forgive her
now. To prove 1t he ate voraciously
of the museum mutton pie for lunch
con. The result was indigestion, which
he attributed to the omelet.
He was rudely awakened next morn
ing by Harriet who was sweeping and
busting in his sitting room. Hereto
fore Mrs. Hodgson had made it a
point to attend to this herself, doing 1t
so quietly that the professor was never
disturbed. However, he had his chop
for breakfast and everything else,
even to the overcoat lying on the chair
where he had thrown it the night be-
fore, was as he had ordered.
After ransacking the drawers of his
desk and paving over the disordered
papers on top of it in a vain search for
his notebook, which contained the
fruits of three months researches, he
was anything but reassured by a hazy
recollection of having nodded over it
and having carelessly laid it on the
chair at his side. This had happened
before but he had always found the
notebook on his desk in the morning.
did you see a book on the floor?
he cried to Harriet, when she had
answered the fierce ringing of the bell.
"You-you said hanything on the
floor"
Find It! Find it," he thundered.
Don't dare to come back without it,
Poor Harriet's face burned as she
went downstairs, for she knew, If the
professor didn't, that the refuse wagon
had called some fifteen minutes ago
The professor paced up and down, with
anger in his heart against Mrs. Hodg-
son and her omelets, until there was
a soft knock at the door, which he
recognized as Mrs. Hodgson's. He pre-
sumed she had come to apologize fol
what she would doubtless call IAN un.
fortunate accident" He would let hei
know in plain teens .hat hers was the
worst conducted house in London.
Your book, professor" she said
holding it out to him. Though Har.
riet had found it on the floor, l picked
it out of the rubbish, thinking l could
do no harm anyway"
"Er-ah, Thank you"
And / have let the room for Sat
urday" she said in a voice which ht
thought was assumed to annoy him.
'Er-ah! Very we'll"
His friend observed that the museum
mutton pie on that date was especially
| good The professor ate of it heart
| lily, but was soon feeling so badly tina
he concluded to devote the remainde
| of the afternoon to searching 70
rooms. After climbing the stairs o
seven different houses he began t.
| speculate upon how in the world land
a ~ 1t IL
| ill-kept apartments to anybody. At on
| place, in a moment of absentminded
ness, he actually asked if the cool
, could make omelets. When the land
! lady said "Yes," he told her abrupt,
that he wouldn't think of taking he
rooms. 1t was on his tongues end t
add that the making of omelets wa
not an art to be spoken of lightly, whel
he remembered that this was the yer.
| expression Mrs. Hodgson had one
used. He determined never to utter tn
word "omelet" again, Weary and cross
he returned to his rooms. In the morn
ing noisy Harriet robbed him of hi
sleep, and he went into his sitting-roon
to face a chop and a disordered desl
again.
Shall we have our customary NUT
ton pie?" the tempter asked him at
o'clock.
II have an engagement today,
| was the reply.
The engagement turned out to be Il
"A little restaurant in Great Russel
street. and before he realized it tn
learning of his stomach had put
request for an omelet into words. !
fiat creation, with no individualit
whatsoever, overdone on one side an
underdone on the other, was placed be
fore him.
Don't you know" he exclaimed fret
fully to the waitress, that an omele
is a work of art, not to be"-Here h
stopped abruptly. But / will eat
the thing" he added.
On Saturday morning when he wer
out to his chop and disordered des
two strange trunks in the corner {
the sitting-room reminded him that h
had not yet engaged another lodgin,
Mrs. Hodgson came in. She hoped tha
his luggage was packed, as the othe
gentleman was coming in an hour. TIL
professor did not reply. Twice he lifte
his cup Of tea and set it down withol
drinking.
Then / may take it that you al
roacX?" she asked.
mo. AS "a matter of fact, I've bee
so busy that / haven't had time
look about much for a place. If yo
have a small room that / could haN
only for week, it would"-he spol
with great reserve-"be in the natul
-ah-of an accommodate ton"
1t happened by mere chance, as Mr.
Hodgson was careful to explain, tn;
this was possible. Harriet was SCI
to help him carry up his belonging
When the wreckage left by the waysit
had been collected and everything /
possessed was piled helter- skelter
the little room on the third floor Il
professor concluded that he would NAL
no attempt to put things right for
short stay.
He heard a cab drive up In front
, the house. The new lodger must ha,
come. Prompted by a curiosity po
sibly Inconsistent with the dignity
the author of Isaac Newton and II
Compeers," he went to the window. I
stepped back in surprise. None 9th
than his mutton-pie friend was to
: his successor in the drawing-room floo
= His misery was increased the folloI
ing morning when he saw Harriet tai
ing one of Mrs. Hodgson's works of a
in to the one who had sworn that ON
lets were the enemies of mankind.
He now fairly hated chops, and co
descended to ask Harriet for an ON
LET for brpakfaSt She hronuht hi