is blessed night for dinner."

"Here are my orders," said the man, sullenly. "I'd show them to you if
you'd leggo my coat-tails," he added, furiously.

"I'll pull them off before I let go," said Mary, grimly. "A pretty way
for the New York Electric Light Company to do business _I_ say! If you
want a five-dollar deposit from the Missis why didn't you write and
give notice like a Christian? Do you suppose we are thieves? Are we
going to loot the house of the electric bulbs, and go and live in
splendour on the guilty sales of them?"

"Let me cut it off according to orders, and I'll go to the office and
explain, and come back and turn it on for you!" pleaded the man.

But Mary's grasp on leg and coat was firm.

"Not on yer life," she said, derisively. "You'll come back this day
week or next month at your own good pleasure, and Mr. Jardine will be
doing the explaining and the running to the office. Make up your mind
that the thing is going to be settled _my_ way, or you'll stay here
till you do. _I'm_ in no hurry."

"Make her leggo of me," he said to me.

Mary gave me a look, and I obediently turned my back. The man slammed
the little door of the metre, and Mary let go of him. He climbed down.

"I can turn it off in the basement just as well," he said, with a grin.

I was about to interfere and offer a cheque, but Mary was too quick for
me. She took him by the arm, with a "Come, Missis," and marched him
before her, with me meekly following, to the telephone in the Angel's
study.

"Now, then, young feller, call up the office!" she commanded. The man
obeyed. Indeed few would have dared to resist.

"Now get away and let the Missis talk to your boss. Tell him what we
think of such doings, Missis."

I, too, obeyed her. I stated the case in firm language. He
apologized, he grovelled. It was all a mistake (Mary sniffed); the man
had no such orders (Mary snorted). I could send a cheque at my
leisure, and if I would permit him to speak to his henchman all would
be well.

I handed the receiver to a very cowed and surly man, whom Mary
persistently addressed as "Major." As he turned from the telephone,
Mary surveyed him with twinkling eyes.

"Are you going to turn off our electric light, Major?" she said,
laughing at him. To my surprise, he laughed with her. Tradespeople
always did.

"Not to-day," he said as amiably as though she had been entertaining
him at tea. Then she let him out, and went ba