It's only me

After her husband had gone to work. Mrs. Richards sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too excited to do any housework that morning, for in the evening she would be going to a fancy - dress party with her husband. She intended to dress up as a ghost and as she had made her costume the night before, she was impatient to try it on. Though the costume consisted only of a sheet, it was very effective. After putting it on, Mrs. Richards went downstairs. She wanted to find out whether it would be comfortable to wear.

Just as Mrs. Richards was entering the dining room, there was a knock on the front door. She knew that it must be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if ever she failed to open the door and to leave the bread on the kitchen table. Not wanting to frighten the poor man, Mrs. Richards quickly hid in the small storeroom under the stairs.

She heard the front door open and heavy footsteps in the hall. Suddenly the door of the storeroom was opened and a man entered. Mrs. Richards realized that it must be the baker. She coughed to draw his attention to her presence, but the man did not look up. Instead, he just stared at her, then he let out a cry and jumped back several feet. When Mrs. Richards walked towards him, he fled, slamming the door behind him.

Mrs. Richards was astonished. Then she smiled as she realized that the man was blind. He had come to read the meter.

理查兹夫人等丈夫上班走后，把孩子送去上学，然后来到楼上自己的卧室。那天上午，她兴奋得什么家务活都不想做，因为晚上她要同丈夫一起参加一个化装舞会。她打算装扮成鬼的模样。头天晚上她已把化装服做好，这时她急于想试试。尽管化装服仅由一个被单制成，却十分逼真。理查兹夫人穿上化装服后下了楼，想看穿起来是否舒服。

理查兹夫人刚刚走进餐厅，前门就传来敲门声。她知道来人一定是面包师。她曾告诉过面包师，如果她不去开门，他可直接进门，把面包放在厨房的桌上。理查兹夫人不想吓唬这个可怜人，便赶紧躲到了楼梯下的小储藏室里。

她听见前门被打开，走廊里响起重重的脚步声。突然贮藏室门开了，一个男人走了进来。理查兹夫人这才想到一定是面包师。她咳嗽了一声，想引起他的注意，但那男人连头都没抬。相反，他只是死死地盯着她看，然后发出一声尖叫，倒退了几步。当理查兹夫人向他走去时，他拔腿就跑，砰地一声关上了门。

理查兹夫人感到十分惊讶。后来她笑了，因为她意识到那个男人是个盲人。他是来查电表的。