The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-04-02
: Jogging His Memory :


ming the morning paper. especially the
| copper market. In which he was much
interested.
my dear" said Mrs. Jastrum. II do
wish that could rely on you to attend
to such household matters as require
your attention.
MY dear" replied Mr.. Jastrum
sharply. lowering the paper. III you
will name any especial matter requir-
Ing my attention instead OF blaming
me beforehand shall be happy to
oblise your
VERY we'll. l wish you to post a
letter for me on your way DOWNTOWN
do you call that household mat.
teri l supposed you referred TO leak
in the roof or some plumbing or gas re-
pairs. Indeed. you have made as much
fuss about it as II you did II it's only
letter you want posted should sup
pose you might have dispensed with
your strictures.'
That's all wish this morning." re-
piled Mrs Jastrum In an injured tone.
Just before Mr.. Jastrum departed his
wife slipped letter in the right hand
pocket OF his overcoat. He kissed her
perfunctoriiy and went away. intend
ing when out of sight to carry the let
ter in his hand that he might not for
get it, but he had no sooner turned the
corner than he met Hickson. Hickson
asked him If he had noticed the fall in
the price of copper. Jastrum said that
he had. whereupon Hickson said that
1t was sure to go lower. Jastrum hur-
ried away to his brokers' Office and
gave him an order to sell out his hold
ings in copper al once. Then he went
to his own office and hung up his over
coat. with the letter in it.
At in the evening Mr.. JaStrum
opened the front door Of his house and
was greeted with the smell of gas.
"Phew! My dear Betsy. hello!
Where are you?"
up here. dear!
Mr.. Jastrum went upstairs and found
his wife sitting in her bedroom in her
fur cloak, with the windows open.
Good gracious" he exclaimed. talk
ing in the situation. when did the
leak occur?"
II noticed faint smell OF gas this
morning as soon as got up. but it
was in the cellar and not very strong
In the house. I kept the cellar door
shut, but by noon the house was full
Of it,
"And why, may ask didn't you tell
me SO. that | could have notified the
plumber?"
when the leak in the water pipe
occurred I asked you to stop at the
plumbers and send him right around.
You forgot~it and the house was food
ed. spelling both the dining room and
parlor carpets. besides the ceilings of
both rooms"
And out of revenge. to show your
mot at all. Finding 1 could not
trust to your memory all the way to
the gas Office, l concluded to- subject it
to much less strain. Both the post
and gas offices are very near yours
the postoffice across the street, the gas
Office on the same block. wrote you
note asking you to go to the gas
office and tell them to send a man here
at once"
"And mailed the letter this morn
ing?"
Yes. There is mail box, as you
know. just around the corner The
postman takes up the mail at a. N.
My letter was dropped in the box not
two minutes after you left the house
this morning and should have been
handed you on the II o'clock delivery
Didn't you get it?''
Get it? No. Doubtless you thought
you put it in, but forgot it, You're
always grumbllng about my forgetting
to post your letters, while you are the
real delinquent. Nobody knows how
many times you have claimed to have
given me letters to post that you have
intended to post yourself and have for.
gotten
Did you post the one gave you
this morning?'
Jastrum looked dazed for a moment
then frightened. He thrust his hand
in his overcoat pocket and drew forth
the letter.
II met Hickson-just after-1 left
you he STAN mered guilty, land
he"-
Look at the address,"
He did as she asked and saw that
the letter was addressed to himself.
Read it,
BE tore or the cover and read:
The gas 10 escaping In the celler Send
a man at once.
Jastrun stood looking at the letter
long enough to have read two pages
isn't IT plainT' asked his wife.
Without replying. he rushed down
stairs aud out. slam ming the door be-
bind bin. intending to get man to
do what he didn't know how to do
himselt-turn of the gas His nex.
door neighbor came in with monkey
wrench and did the trick. Jastrum