Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-16
THE OMELET.

Professor Hilsdrup tugged at the bell
rope for the second time and glared more
savagely than ever at the beautiful thing in
crispy brown and yellow lying between
two sprigs of parsley. Such frown when
aimed at such an omelet was unworthy of
any fair minded man. All of Mrs. Hodg
sons omelets were wonderful, and this
was one of her best. 1t looked so light as
to enjoin haste in eating it lest little
draft should take it out Of the open win
dow into the garden as easily as if it was
thistleblow, so appetizing as to pardon
beforehand the breach of good manners in
crying aloud for more as soon as one had
finished it. But the professor regarded 1T
as an enemy which had treacherously stol-
gu into his presence with murderous in
tent One aggravation after another had
followed since he began the day an hour
ago with 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 delightful little garden
and the bare walls of the British museum,
some three months before, just as the
winter was breaking and settled down to
work on hiss Isaac Newton and His Com
peers" such an omelet had come up in
the company of we'll loaded fruit stand
for his first breakfast. AS he pushed his
chair back from the plate with only a faint
trace of yellow left on it he determined
to have that omelet's counterpart 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 Brit
ish museum restaurant assured him that
eggs were tho making of biliousness.
In truth, between mutton pies and hard
work the professors stomach was quito
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 onlolet. To send up an omelet
after he had ordered a mutton chop ap-
peared to him on this particular morning
as downright mutiny. Mrs. Hodgson was
getting him altogether too much in her
power. He tugged at the bell and scowled
and determined to have an understand
ing" at once.
"Good morning, professorr' 1t was
Mrs. Hodgson herself who had entered.
"Don't you know" he growled, that
am of bilious temperament, and omelets
are not good for me?"
Gone of my omelets?" she asked doubt
fully. She had never seen the professor in
such mood before. She was at once in
dignant and chagrired.
"All omelots are alike, lnadam!"
"Mine are no better than any body
else'sy
Madam" continued the professor in a
cold, hard voice, 81 TOLD Harriet last night
that most especially wanted mutton
chop for breakfast"
"Then-I ate itp'
"You ate sol"
eyes. didn't know. Harriet didn't
say anything to he about it. I supposed
you would have an omelet, as you always
had"
"Always, always For three months
It's wonder that have anything in my
Eody except liverl" He tried to annihi-
late the omelet with one glance and Mrs
duQSSOn Win announcer.
"When saw only one chop in the lard
en-" said Mrs. Hodgson, her natural snap
and dignity returning, 81 supposed it was
for me Of course, as | usually have NUT
ton chop for breakfast"
"Ab! You don't eat your own omelets!"
"You don't eat your own manusoriptsW
she replied with asperity. IF you will
wait Only few minutes, will send out
for g chop" she added more pleasantly.
"No, !" said the professor, sitting down
at the table with the air of a martyr.
"No. am a busy man, Mrs. Hodgson.
will eat this now that it is here. And,
Mrs. Hodgson, wish you would not ar
range my 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 ar
range them when you first came, and you
said did 1t SO nicely and saved you a lot
Of trouble"
This was too much. The professor felt
that his dignity was at stake.
Mrs. Hodgson, !" he Numbered, II shall
leave when my week Is upr'
She tossed her head and said, Every
well, = with aggravating sweetness. The
professor settled down to his breakfast
muttering something about "iInpudent
women" Once out In the hall Mrs Hodg-
son stamped her foot and exclaimed, 1.-THE
old fool!'
That omelet tasted uncommonly we'll,
as If to tantalize him. He ate it all, even
to the last fragment, which tantalized him
still further. Then be went over to his
desk to write. His pen, his paper, his
notebook were where Mrs. Hodgson had
placed them, which was just where they
ought to be. This also was most tantaliz-
ing. Yet he found himself few moments
later carrying his overcoat down stairs on
his arm as usual and harboring a faint
notion that he Dug ht to forgive Mrs. Hodg-
son. She was pruning the flowers on the
stand in the hall, and Harriet was near
her, receiving some orders.
Mrs. Hodgson, would you-ahp'- he
asked politely.
Harriet said Mrs Hodgson as she
continued to snip off dead leaves, "help
the gentleman on with his overcoat.
As he went out the professor slammed
the door SO hard as fairly to make the
flowerpots tremble, but Mrs. Hodgson only
smiled. She had recovered her dignity
and her faith In her art despite sour ortiz
cism. The professor determined never to
forgive her now. To prove it he ate vora-
ciously Of the museum mutton pie for
luncheon. The result was indigestion,
which be attributed to tho omelet.
He was rudely awakened next morning
by Harriet, who was sweeping and dust
ing in hts sitting room. Heretofore Mrs.
Hodgson had made It a point to attend to
this herself. doing II 50 quietly that the
professor was never disturbed. However,
he had his chop for breakfast, and every