The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-09-28

! up from his paper. that the waite
board has decided to put in meters
That will afford a new field for econ
| omy."
Cousin Harriet's brow puckeret
anxiusly. She was darning an ode
sock that she had found in the rag
bag.
Meters! Dear me! Water is the
one thing that this town has always
been able to have enough of. l must
tell Mary"
Don't worry" soothed Mr.. Bron
son. Il guess We'll still be able to
drink it,"
The meter, an inoffensive affair
that looked like a brass teapot, was
duly installed. The plumber, lifting
the circular metal lid, showed Miss
Kingsly six little groups of figures on
the four-inch disk. One could use,
it appeared, anywhere from no water
at all to an ocean at so much per
thousand cubic feet. Compared with
the rate for the same amount of ice,
the price seemed moderate.
How much" asked Miss Kingsly,
cautiously, 'is it likely to cost a
month";"
WELL" confided the plumber, col
lecting his tools, Il really don't know
much about them,-this is only the
fourth I've put in, and l haven't seen
one busy-but l should say that it
would all depend on how much .
body used"
The meter weighed heavily on
Cousin Harriet's mind. She could
picture it in the Bronson cellar,
greedily counting every drop that
trickied through the pipes. OF course
from the very moment that the sys-
tenn went into force, the good lady
began to have water.
Mary" said she to the cook, you
mustn't waste drop. When you've
rinsed the dishes, pour the water
into this pail, SO can use it to water
the plants. And, Mary, save part of
your wash-water on Monday to scrub
the laundry floor It seems a pity to
waste all that nice bluing water.
Isn't there something we could do
with it,"
I'VE might" suggested Mary, doubt
fully. heat 1t to wash windows with"
We'll try it," return Miss Kingsly.
screwing the faucets tighter.
Mary. now restricted at every turn
every turn of the faucet, Mr.. Bron-
son said-was fast losing the amia-
bility for which she had been famed
The hitherto fastidious girls wore
their white shirtwaists a day longer
than usual to save washing. Indeed,
the entire family was gradually be-
coming niggardly with the water
supply. Even Elyda was observed
saving half the contents of her glass
for the benefit OF the parched fern
dish.
Really" expostulated Mr.. Bronson,
when this discovery was made, II
this nonsense doesn't stop We'll all
have water on the brain. I'm affect
ed myself. It's all I can do this
minute to keep from turning on every
faucet In the house just to see how it
seems actually to possess enough
water to wash both hands in at once"
you can't" said Cousin Harriet,
with dignity. I've had all the fau-
Gets fixed"
That's why they merely drizzle!"
exclaimed Frances. Il supposed
they'd just grown economical of their
own accord"
I've tried for half an hour to read
that meter" confessed Cousin Harri-
ct, emerging dustily from the cellar
The morning of the thirty-frst, "but l
can't understand the figures. This is
The day they inspect it. l wanted to
De prepared"
Three hours later Miss Kingsly fol-
owed the meter-man to the cellar.
He lifted the metal lid. held his Ian
:ern close. and read the figures to
which the indicator pointed. Sud.
lenly he uttered an ejaculation and
stopped lower. Then he shook his
lead. His manner expressed disap-
,roval.
Have we used very much?" de.
handed Cousin Harriet, anxiously.
Just about all Lake Superior!" re-
Orted the man.
What" gasped the guardian OF
aucets, in horror.
The meters put on wrong" ex-
'lained the man. THAT plumbers
'ot it hind end to. This makes nine
hatll have to come out so far. This