The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1897-03-31
AN OMELET.
ny FREDERICK PALMER
DOWNRIGHT. 1879

iul thing in crispy brown and yellow
living between two sprigs of parsley.
srcb a trown when aimed at such an
omeIet was unworthy of any fair
minded man. All of Mrs. Hodgson's
omelets we're wonderful, and this was
one of her best. 1t looked so light as
N enioin haste in eating it lest q
draught should take it out of the open
window into the garden as easily as If
II we're a thistle blow; so appetizing
MS TO pardon beforehand the breach of
mod manners in crying aloud for an
other as soon as one had finished it,
But the professor regarded it as an
epsmy which had trcacherously stolen
into his presence with murderous in
Gent. Argravution had followed aggra-
,ation 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
Hrawlug-room floor with a sittiDg-room
looking cut on 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
plntewith only faint trace ofyeilow left
on it, he determined to have that ONE
let's counterpart every morning. lie
had it and enjoyed it with the leisurely
taste that enriches life for a man of
q, until 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 biIiousness.
In truth, between mutton pies and
hard work, the professors stomach was
quite out of order. He imagined it to
be worse than il was, thus making it
worse than 1t otherwise would have
been, and blamed all to the onelet. To
send up an omelet after he had ordered
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. lie tugged at the bell and
scowled, and determined to have an
understanding" at once.
Good morning, professor" said Mrs.
UOdgson herself, as she entered.
Don't you know" growled the pro-
lessor, that | am of a bilious temper
ament and omelets are not good for
me?"
"One of my omelets?" she asked,
doubtfuIy. She had never seen the
professor in such mood before.
"All omelets are alike, madam"
Mine are no better than anybody's
else!" she gasped.
Madam, continued the professor, in
cold, hard voice, 81 told Harriet last
night that | most especially wanted a
mutton chop for breakfast"
Then ate It'll"
"You ate it?"
"Yes-l didn't know. Harriet didn't
say anything to me about it. | sup
posed 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 liver!" He tried to
ahnhllate the omelet with one glance
and Mrs. lodgson with another.
When SAW only one chop in the
'arder,' said Mrs. Hodgson, her natural
snap and dignity returning, II supposed
II was for me, of course, as l usually
nave mutton chop for breakfast"
All. You don't eat your own ONE
lets"
lou don't eat your own manu-
scripts she replied, with asperity. IF
you will wait only few minutes, |
VIII send out for chop" she added,
more pleasantly.
NO. said the professor, sitting down
~ the table with the air of martyr.
NO, l am busy man, Mrs. Hodgson.
VIII eat this now that it is here.
anu Mrs, Hodgson, wish you would
Ho' interfere with the papers on my
aeSN any more. Don't touch my desk!
arrange nothing! Throw away any
~lhg you find on the floor"
=, nut sir, you showed me how to fix
uem When you first came, and you
s''a did it SO nicely and saved you
lot of trouble"
iha1 was too much. The professor
'at mat his dignity was at stake.
MRS Hodgson," he Numbered, 81
'uaii ieave when my week is up!"
enc tossed her head and said: "Very
ny "eii' with aggravating sweetness.
professor settled down 10 his break
s,' mnttering something about i'm
suuent women" Once out in the hall,
sns' hodgson stamped her foot and ex-
Nained' The old fooll"
me omelet tasted uncommonly well,
Il TO tantalize him. lie ate it all,
.r sn 10 the last fragment, which tam
'iNeu hlm still further. Then he went
er 10 his desk 10 write. His pen, his
FEaper' his notebook, were where Mrs.
SOugson had placed them, which was
~, ~ where they ought to be. This also
s as most tantalizing. Yet, few min
Az sS later, he found himself carrying
~ u'ercoat downstairs on his arm as
gs aal aud harboring a faint notion
m. ' ne ought to forgive Mrs. Hodgson.
81. was pruning the flowers on the
la1q IN the hall, and Harriet was near
s,t eceiving some order.
.,t si,s' hodgson, would you--ah"-he
aSsd, politely.
.o,.. afriet, said Mrs. Hodgson, as she
n lnued to snip off dead leaves, "help
gentleman on with his overcoat."
NJ ue went out the professor slammed
soa uo0r SO hard as fairly 10 make the
o,l. pots tremble. but Mrs. Hodgson
sag smiled. She had recovered her
.a sui'y and her faith in her art. despite
nil. criticism. The professor deter
mr." never TO forgive her now. To
ssr. II be ate yoraciously Of the mu-
n, u mutton pie for luncheon. The re-
a. ives Indigestion. which be altrib.
'sa % the Omslet,