Sharp County record., 1908-01-03
THE BROK G NJ
PITCHER
NENpiNG 1T WAS QUITE AN
UNDERTAKING

Mr.. Gormey gave her a look that
said: "Now, you shut up, will you?'
emptied the pitcher and held it up to
the light. As he squinted into the jug
Mrs. Gormey tried to do the same.
They struggled in silence, each head
pushing against the other, but Mr..
Gormey stood his ground so we'll that
Mrs. Gormey desisted at last and went
back to her chair
WELL" she asked, impatiently, did
it knock a little hole in it?'
Mr.. Gormey's face was hidden by
the pitcher, but his ears took upon
themselves an expression which be-
tokened that here was man looking
at something 80 interesting that it
was as good as play.
"Ah!" said Mr. Gormey withdraw
ing his face from the mouth Of the
jug.
He put it down on the table (the
jug, not his face, but just as Mrs.
Gormey reached over for 1t he picked
1t up again and took another long, sat
isfying look.
"My lovely pitcher" walled Mrs.
Gormley. IT'S always the way when
have anything l like. You seem to
do 1t on purpose"
"Yes," whispered Mr. Gormey to
himself, and speaking into the jug, Il
can mend it. Yes"
He replaced 1t on the table, kindly
allowed his wife to snatch it up and
apply it to her eye and listened to
her lamentation with the smile Of
deepest self-satsfaction.
Yes" he repeated to himself, "1
can mend it. Now let me see. A
bit of putty would stop the hole, but
wait! Is putty poisonous? What is
putty made of"
"Chalk and linseed OIL" sighed
Mrs. Gormey into the pitcher.
Giving her an appropriate look,
Mr.. Gormey went to his tool chest,
found bit Of putty, and brought it to
the light
He weighed 1t In his hand, saying
judicially; "Theres a lot Of white
lead in it from the heft Of IT, that's
sure" He broke off q small piece
and scrutinized it carefully, raising
his head at last to say; Get me the
magniGyng glass" Mrs Gormey
fetching him the instrument In ques
ton, he made lengthy microscopic
examination of the putty.
I'm sure it's chalk and" began
Mrs. Gormey,
Chalk and fddlesticks!" said Mr.
Gormey, "If 1t isn't half white lead
III eat It. Wait TIL get the diction
ary; that will tell"
He went to the dictionary an(
turned triumphantly to putty.
"a plastic substance" he read, dry
ing hard on exposure to the air; much
used for holding glass In window
frames"
He looked up glass" "gla2iors,'
Windows "pones' and plastic" and
then he put the putty under the mag
nify!ng glass again, Inspired by this
he looked up lead "white lead, "red
lead" metals" "pulyeri2ed" and "ful
lers earth"
"Whore's that old book on chemis
try?' ho suddenly asked,
After half an hours search they
found II at the back Of ono Of the
book'shelyos, and Mr. Gormey pol
ished his spect0ces and began tc
search the book.
First OF all he turned to the chap
ter on lead, and with a proud look al
Mrs, Gormey he read aloud; Lead
compounds are poisonous, producing
saturnme collie or oven paralysis"
yes said Mrs, Gormey 81 know
It's poisonous, but is putty made OF
load?'
20, OF course" said Mr., Gormey
"You know It's poisonous. o, yes!
You know everything, don't your and
waiting not for her ImpOsslonod de-
fonso, he porod over acetate of lead
oXyacotate Of loNd nitrate OF lead
iodido Of lead oloNto Of lead and Other
kinds Of lead more than u vigorous
man could shake q stick at
Lead and tin make solder" he reat
aloud
Eyes, ] know they do, but"
Mr. Gormoy mOdo q slbllOnt sount
OF rich derlsIon and after oXhNustinG
the chapter ON lead he cried aloud
"What q fool ami" and needing no
Mrs Gormey's look Of unfeigned ap
proval he turned to the bookcase an,
took down volume pllYpz0 of the on
cyelopeda,
An hour later Mr., Gormey hat
every volume Of the encyclopedia OF
the table but one, and that one wal
the maps, aud his temper was 80 shor
that Mrs, Gormoy had long since
ceased hor romarka,
"Ah, here II isl" he cried ut last
"putty 10 made Of" lie paused
picked up the pitcher and the BIT o
putty and began stopping tho hole
"Woll, what is II mNdo of2" msIstoO
Mrs, Gormey
"Chalk and llngeed oilh anAnbet