Show j Daily Short Fiction Story GORHAM AND THE GAS GA Copyright 1914 by tho News New paper paler Syndicate N Now New York City had never seemed so attractive to Gorham a as it did upon the day 1 be he sailed away from it in th tho interest of journalism Tho sun un was ivas shining in Lu full glory glory- ou the great reat skyscrapers skyscrapers sky scrapers pera and tho cit city was hustling k Ji-k like a a. swarm of bees bee B Besides Gorham had the night be before ore met Miss Fluffy Toyo Toye of the Follies and her charm had been beer eo go alluring that he had decided to write famous little a a. novelette about tho thc dancer U She She is worth studying muttered Gorham a as tho the boat pulled ponderously away from the wharf One Une seldom meets a a. type BO so rare It might have paid me mo to stay and write a a. story tory around her ber instead of going off to Lon Lou London Loudon London don to write up cafe life ife However Howe he c ciet t a glance at tho the gradually widening wid widening ening strip of water between himself and Now York soil it is too late now to go zo back It would assuredly have hao been the act ad adof of a a. madman or an emperor to have hac turned down the flattering offer lie ho had received from the leading periodical and fortunately Gorham had hail realized the folly fony of refusal Consequently he lie was as on his biA wa way to London his expenses paid raid and his namo advertised exten exten- clr 8 The rho The second day out found Gorham rather pleased than oth otherwise that ho he no was as aboard the New let York Ho lb was in excellent health tho the meals wore were splendid splendid did and there thero was an unusual number of attractive maidens maiden with mth whom ho he felt ho could easU easily while away a moonlit hour or two When ho reach reached cd London after his Ins trip up from Pl Plymouth he returned to his depressed state of mind Gorham loathed hotel life and had bad equal distaste for br boarding houses I r could not write a line in in a a. hotel boel room he wailed to a fellow passenger who seemed to ger ger- geran an n Englishman know his bis London well fellow why not take a ai Mv My 1 dear There hc heaps of them tobe tobe to i small maU flat liat t are ps be had In consequence of the tho Englishman's 1 suggestion Gorham found himself comfortably comfortably com com- fort ably installed in a small apartment q I that boasted a a. deli delightful sleeping room a 3 kitchen and one sitting room Not so 80 bad he be decided and wondered won won- 1 dered if it it would bo be necessary to cm- cm help of kind to keep bw his domi domicile plo ploy any be ho be cile cite clean Ie Not Not if I can avoid it reflected This is it only bi big 1 enough h for Die nic It would drive o mo Tue out of my m mind to nave bavo any ono one about here here Ho lie wont into the small kitchen and caught right Fight of the gas B stove sto and et own breakfast M I I can get my mr dine diDo in a cafe rae But how do you manip manipulate manip- manip ulato these stoves stoos T he pondered Gorham know knew nothing whatever er about caa as stoves and it was WM with Hh no small mall relief re rc c lief f that he found the card which hi hirn b in in informed n formed d him that upon receipt of a pos postal post t tal the Gas T Light and Coal comp company ny in rn K D-bi D would uld send up a demon in the to instruct th the i ignorant in use uso of gas stoves proper proper I I am an ignorant one lau laughed hod Gorham withdrawing from the kitchen which he had bail filled with gasby by turning on various wron wrong jets mn in hi his effort to I j ja I a tr lie Ho Ho lost no further time in sending ofT off hi his request for a demonstrator taken by br suri sur sur- Even E so Gorham was to his card a aoun ayoung i prise when in answer herself at his ms woman presented young oun door His us surprise was caused both bythe by the promptness of reply am and by the tho love love- linew liness of the girl sirl who had bad been becu sent sentI sent I HIs la f this Mr Gorham H the girl irl questioned ques intoned I toned In a H most beautifully oI voice I r u I am ant from rom the Gas Light tigh t aud and Coal oal company oOh Oh come com right in ml said Gorham with a feeling of 0 of that his igno ignorance igno rance ranee was so sa complete regarding gas sas stove It is 13 awfully good of you OU to como cornn up I It Il is mv m business business' said aid the tho girl Firl quietly Wo have to pass examinations examina and give sti l lectures on ou th the tho subject that hat Gorham was wag curi- curi cnn curi she ho ho added seeing cen what exquisite ex ex- ous We WC c demonstrate just QU cooking can be done dOllO on a gas as stove I 1 nw am more moro than ignorant laughed Gorham I 1 had hat this apartment smelling like a leaking pas gas tank before you VOIl caine He lIe led thc tho way to the tho kitchen and the tho girl tirl followed She instructed him hint minutely and Gorham did diel his best to forget all that she ehe told him Ho lie kne knew then and there that he be would be ho compelled 8 again ain aunt anti amis s again ga n to seek the aB assistance of a a. dem deu I onet U Do Do I put a steak inside tho o oven on n or underneath t he questioned V Underneath And it must b be turned from froDl time to tune time Oh you have bavo one she laughed I will mIl prepare it for you ou and put on the theeo vege o tables After that thal all alJ you ou have havo to do 18 1 watch them and take tako them off orr when thc they are aro done I I am an excellent watcher at Gorham Gorham Gor Gor- ham told her and gared frank frankly at the tho I girl rl You will mil want ant something over o that dress Here put put this on He Ito tied HOtl a great Ireat Turkish to towel el about her then hen found himself forgetting the thc charms of Miss Fluffy Toye Toc while 11 he watched his bis demonstrator from the tile gas as company comp When hen she sho had bad gone leaving an nn odorous odorous odor onor- ous oua dinner co cooking km for or him Gorhum Gorham el lonesome Ills His apartment felt vaguely n was vas less Ies attractive than It had been heen Ho To realized that flint a D. woman ep a n V Toman whoso smile mile ii was as adorable awl and I whose hair bail was ns like 5 spun un silk and her ber I eyes ot of not forget Clue blue was a great comfort to an any homo Aside from rom scorching hin tIm steak an and ancl letting jetting tho the f vegetables le boil all o over r the stove Gorham s I dinner y was as successful 5 ul i f C However during tho the n night ht lii bi his newly acquired l knowledge vanished lie went out fo for hi his because his small kitchen had lost much of itH itu charm He wondered whether lov love oy had with wit I l sudden and unexpected energy tugged t I at hi heart strings l' l or whether it t was wasI I merely the loneliness of a u strange city it that made him look lo k under every C 1 Waft WaI- WaI t tean au hat bat for tor a particular pair of blue bluer j r eyes Gorham roa may not have o known knon the namo name namo of the hat thin the girl wore but hut lIe he lIeI knew v it H tva wi perched lus high h on her ber sunny I I hair and that marses of or fur forget nota were packed under tinder time the back hack In v event b ho hp deci decided ed writing his hife tint i article l ou on cafe a life that Ii hp would have bac to know more about Ills Ids ls In JP consequence another ard artl W u sent t to the gas company He lr wait waited anxiously and more than a little nervously ouI for lor the arrival of |