The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1898-02-22
A Midnight Encounter.
" ERNAL CHOICE was pretty and

commodious villa, and Dovecot-
tam select ard salubsious suburb. To
the happiness OF Mr.. and Mrs. Maurice
Grecn--latcly made almost complete by
the arrival Of the veriest chcrub that
ever came down from Heaven-there
were but two drawbacks. The first was
of Maurice's making. He had ride
ulous fad about gas fittings. He be-
lieved them to be In a chronic state oil
leakiness. He told his long-suffering
wife almost daily that more gas escaped
through unsupported cracks and defec-
tive joints than served to illuminate the
coy rooms of Vernal Choice.
Mrs. Maurice Green's bugbear was
burglars. Nothing could shake her coz
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 of
the gas at the mcter--he would on no
account allow anyone else to do it, as
"gas is such tickle thing"--his little
wife was on her knees in the bedroom,
not, as might be supposed, saying her
Sic lnAOC tllC
kneeling serve both purposes-but tim
idly peering under the lowered terra
Gotta valances for the burglar that never
came. "-,-.--- go
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 little scream, she would seek the
matchcs-she never could put her hand
readily on the matches--and light the
delicately shaded candle on the dress
ing table, ere proceeding with her
search and her devotions. At such
times, when Maurice assembled from the
underground regions, where the gas
meter melted out it's dole, to the com
pany of his wife above stairs, she would
rate him, right soundly for SO gentle a
little body, for what she styled his lab
surd 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 beer
before row of footlights and a crowded
pit, instead of bluc-tinted corrugated
candle and mildly scornful husband.
When Maurice wished to be wither
ing, he was always lstudiously allitera
tive ir his choice of words. He neve
failed to pooh pooh the burglar notion
He said il was 'the merest moonshine,
and that there were crowds of cost
lier cribs to crack than Vernal Choice
you bet!"
Mrs. Green, as a rule, deigned no an
swer. She hated slang, and wondere'
how a man of Mnurice's sense-excep
upon the meter question-could stool
to its use. She generally refraine'
from saying so, however like the sensi
BILE. little woman she was, and, resigned
ly filing the baby's feeding bottle, an,
tucking the little cherub with sundr,
croonings in its bedside cot retired TO
the night, leaving Maurice to blow ou
the corrugated candle.
1t was winter, and it was midnight
Maurice had a cold. and so had tn
baby. The "little cherub," in fact. ha
"touch of bronchitis" and his har
breathing as he slumbered restlessl
in his little cot. plainly testified the fac
through the darkness.
1T wonder" murmured Mrs. Greer
as she lay listening to the trouble
breathing of the child on the one hant
and the influenza snore of her husban
on the other-"I wonder il the littl
pet is warm enough. I'm anxious abou
his little chest, bless him! I'd take hir
into my bed. only Maurice doesn't lik
il. The little fellow kicks the clothe
off so! What could do to proven
him from taking cold afresh? Happ
>thought!-there's that little woole
wrap in the spare bedroom. It's cithe
in the middle drawer of the dressing
table or in the wardrobe, know.
"Poor Mauricel he would willingl
go and find it for me, but / wouldn
disturb him tonight for the worlt
I'm glad succeeded in persuading hiI
to sleep in his dressing jacket. Thos
nasty influenza colds need care, an
I'm so apt 70 uncover him in reachin
over to baby. I'll slip into the neS
room myself"
Thus soliloquizing she quietly got OF
of bed-for where baby came in fea
flew out--pushed the turned back bee
clothes gently against her husband
back so that he would not miss he
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