Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-12-11
Rags and St0ye-Pipe-A Mad Dam
burian.

haSs anu St0Te-PIpe-A Mau DAN
burian.
~ Itwas some time last spring that Mrs.
Coyille read In a paper that idle stove
pipe might be kept from rusting by fill
ing the lengths with bits of carpet, rags,
etc. After the parlor stove was takeu
down In May, she made trial of the
recipe by filling one of the lengths as
advised. On Thursday, she being away
from home, Mr.. Coville conceived the
idea, and a great deal OF credit it re-
Elected upon him, of putting up the
stove and starting fire in it SO to sur
prise her when she came home. He
went to work at once. He got the stove
out of the closet, and put it on the right
spot. Then he got down the pipe
where it had been carefully laid away,
and after much tribulation, succeeded
in getting it together and up in place.
With this much accomplished, he de-
voted some ten minutes TO fondling his
fingers and specializing on the astOnish-
ment and qualification Mrs. Coville
would experience on her arrival. After
this indulgence, and very pardonable it
was, Mr.. Coviile arranged his kindling,
put on a hod of coal, and applied
and then died out again, and volume
OF smoke pulled into the room. Mr.
Coyille was surprised. He got down
on his knees, and putting his mouth up
up very close to the CRATE, was prepar-
ing to establish powerful current of
air. and was just on the verge of doing
it, when another puff of smoke shot out,
filing his eyes and penetrating his
throat and nearly binding and strang-
ling him. Mr.. Coville rolled over once
or twice to get out of the way, and,
reaching his hands and knees, coughed
and expostulated for some five minutes
In that position then, feeling somewhat
revived and refreshed, he made
close examination of the hampers and
the pipe where it connected with the
stove and the chimney, but could find
no solution of the mischief. He applied
another match, but the smoke again
rolled out III the room, and it was only
by an almost supernatural Jump back
ward tina. he saved himself from an
other strangulation. III next took all
the coal out of the stove and made
thorough examination of its interior,
but there was nothing unusual in its APP
pearance. Puzzled, annoyed and an
gered by his i'll luck, he put in more
kindling replaced the coal, and again
applied The match. There was another |
blaze-stronger than before, and an in
creased volume of smoke shot into the |
room. And it continued to come, in |
spite of the violent protestations he |
made, and he was obliged to beat an in
glorious retreat, stopping in the hall to |
i
he opened the door again the room was
full of smoke, and it was in The midst
of it, feeling his way to the stove and
coughing and screaming, Mrs. Coville
found him on her arrival. The presence
of the smoke, with the actions of her
husband. made but one impression upon
Mrs. Coville, and she promptly shouted
'' fire." and started for the street, but,
fortunately, was overtaken by her an
gered husband, and dragged back In
time to prevent scene for the neigh
bors. OF course, Mrs. Coville did not
know what was the matter with the
stove, so she said it was the way the fire
was made, but seeing her husband grow
white about the mouth, and observing
him Jump up and down, she prudently
amended this opinion by substituting
the pipe, and ON the symptoms before
mentioned continuing she hastily aban-
doned the pipe theory, and was about
to confess that she didn't know what
was the trouble, when a sudden thought
struck her. "Oh % said she "did
you take the rags out of the pipe 2"
" Rags" said he, "Why, yes; put
some rage in one of the lengths to see if
it would prevent it from rusting, as the
paper said" 'You did?" he gasped,
showing very plainly by his looks that
he knew one or the other of them was
bereft of reason, but was not quite con-
fdent which one. eyes, faltered Mrs.
Coyille, instinctively moving toward the
stairs. Mr. Coville stared at her for a
full minute, while Mrs. Coville caro-
fully examined fly over the door, and
then, with a single exclamation which |
we will not print, he silently jerked
down the pipe, and as silently pulled
from the link in question sundry pieces
of rag carpet, a jacket sleeve, and a
night cap. AS the last article made its
appearance Mr.. Coville felt as if he
should melt in shower of tears, but |
Immediately changed his mind, ami fell |
to kicking the articles about the room
IN a most insane manner, while Mrs. |
Coyille precipitated herself with COM
mendable dispatch. What Coville !
wants now Is, to find the paper which |
contained that advice. = Ddn6ury |
Nelcs.