The Clayton call. (Clayton, Del.) 188?-189?, 1897-07-06
OFF AT THE METER.

Vernal Choice was pretty and COM
modious villa and Doyecottam 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
Maurice's making. He had ridiculous
fad about gas fittings. He believed them
to be IN a 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 eozy
rooms of Vernal Choice.
Mrs. Maurice Green's bugbear was
burglars. Nothing could shake her con-
viction that when a burglar took his
dark suburban way" his objective
would be- by decree of fate, Vernal
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 it, as
"gas is sucA tickle thing'-his little
wife was ON her knees IN the bedroom,
not, as might Ne supposed, saying her
prayers-thou2h>s 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 cut 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 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 a row of footlights and a
crowded nit instead Of 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 costlicr
cribs to crack than Vernal Choice. you
bet"
Mrs. Green, as a rule, deigned no
answer. She hated slang and wondered
how a man of Maurice's sense-except
mon the meter ouestion-could stoop
TO its use. She generally refrained from
saving 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.
IT, wos vin+er and n vas midniobt
Morr;oa hod . cola on5 co bad tLe ba.
- TLe ss1;t+Ie oI,a,,,l, ), =, Fao+ had a
s;torch 81 broncbitis ), ond he Lard
broath;no os bo sI,,raborod 20 rast1assiv in
bic 1;ttIe "ot ,Ia;,,Ir testif;od tho f.ct
+I,sonn - A. ,1o,.t,,a ,' ''--'>>' -
81 81 .1e s',,1 : ..eas, - &c.
90 sho lan ;sast;n - = - Arc 80 t-o1bIed
b. e a. o1,;1d -, tho ono ho,,d
and tha ;na,,o''ao srnra - ber bnsband
-, - A. ~ a.so' ssI So 80. e ,ho I;ttIo
20 e 1ross 49, a,...t t., anx;ons obo,,t
BIC iittIo oLos4 L. h;-n pd ta-e him
;,,to ~ ai1 80 M HIanr;ca doos,,,t lilo
Il Tbo 1;tt1o toIIoTr Licl.o the clothes
off 60 what co,,ld 7 do IN nrevert him
Co. +al-;n - eo LA afroshS Hannv
tbonohtI Ts.,sS tho+ 1ttIo xyodle,,
rrro- =, a. 80 ,,o - It,s o;thev
y, r. :" ~ s'ie D - +ba drossi,,a
ta,,, w 1919 w u.amJ i-no,r poa5
Tarri :. - n IN "-d n;Il;,aIT 90 and
Ana - Gov ~ W." 80 won15n1t 5;s+n,b
-, .o,,;a,,t - IL rorId nv oIad.I
s-a go ~ -. s-o I,;r, 70 sleer i,
&c d,.oss;,, - ,et srSasa nastv inf,n-
-a s o"I5, 80, ss - H., 80 a,+ a.
$1,000 .na ou-Is neeu .aas s, 49, onar ~ bobv
III ~; :. 80 =. .e--.., '-se1f y
n TIL S LII .i.s nens ~ 49, I'LL Got 90
ho5 e. a hs.p 't LIS 1 oa,na IN fea] tie,v
, M ILL AZ, 4 1870 haol nod cIo,hes
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