Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-09-18
CHOW wbara,s the harm in II ?.

which interrupts the flow of the electric
fluid, and What on earth are you
opening that door for?"
Goodness gracious, is there any harm
in that?"
Harm? There's death in it. Any
body that has given the subject any at
tentiOn knows that to create draught is
to inviteJthe lightning. You haven't
half shut it; shut it highland do hur-
ry, or we are all destroyed. Oh, it is an
awful thing to be shut up with a lunatic
at such time as this. Mortimer, what
are you doing?"
Nothing. Just turning On the water.
This room is smOthering hot and close.
/ wanetd to battle my face and hands,"
you have certainly parted with the
remnant of your mindl Where the
lightning strikes any other substance
once, it strikes water fifty times. Do
turn it off. Oh, dear, l am sure that
nothing in this world can save us. 1t
does seem to me that-MOrtimer what
was that?"
ut was a dat was picture. Knock
ed it down."
'Then you are close to the wall? I
never heard of such imprudence! Don't
you know that there's no better conduct
or for lightning than wall? And you
came as near as anything to swearing,
too. Oh, how can you be so desperately
wicked, and your family i'm such peril?
Mortimer, did you order feather bed, as
Iasked you to dO?"
mo. Forgot it."
Forgot i'll 1t may cost you your life.
If you had feather bed, now, and could
spread it in the middle of the room and
lie on it, you would be perfectly safe.
Come i'm here-come quick, before you
have chance to commit any more fran
tic indiscretions."
tried, but the little closet would not
hold us both with the door shut, unless
we could be content to smother. Igasp-
ed awhile, then forced my way out. My
wife called out
Mortimer, something must be done for
YOUR preservation. Give me that Ger
man book that is on the end of the man.
tie piece, and a candle; but don't light
it: give me match, I will light it in
here. That book has got some directions
in it,"
l got the bOOk-at cost of a vase and
some other brittle things; and the mad
am shut herself up with her candle. 1
had moments peace; then she called
out
Mortimer, what was that?"
Nothing but the cat"
"The catl Oh, destruction! Catch her.
and shut her up in the wash stand. Do
be quick, love; cats are full of electrici-
ty. 1 just know my hair Will turn white
with this nights awful perils."
heard the muff1ed sObbings again.
But for that I should not have moved
hand or foot in such a wild enterprise
in the dark.
However, went at my task-over
chairs and against all sorts of Obstruc-
lions, all of them hard. ones, too, and
most of them with sharp edges-and at
last got kitty cOOped up in the COM
mode, at an expense of over four hun
dred dollars in broken furniture and
shins. Then those muff1ed words came
from the closet:
"It says the safest thing is to stand on
chair in the middle of the room, Nor
timer; and the legs of the chair must
be insulated, with non-cOnductOrs. That
is you set the legs of the chair in glass
tumblers. [FstAbOom!-bang!-sm smash
Oh, hear that. Do hurry, Mortimer, be-
fore you are struck"
managed to find and secure the tum-
blers. got the last fOur-brOke all the
rest. insulated the chair legs, and
called for further instructions.
Mortimer, it says, 'Wahrend zines
Gewitters entferne man Metallic, vie z
B., Ringe, Uhren, Schlussel, etc., Won
sich und halte sich auch mich and SOL
chen Stellan auf, wO viele Metallic bel
einander liegen, order nit andern KOer
pere verbunden sind, vie an Herdeen,
Oefen, Eisengittern u. dgl.' What does
that mean, Mortimer Does it mean
that you must keep metals about you, or
keep them away from your"
"Well, / hardly know. 1t appears to
be little mixed. However, think that
sentence is mostly in the native case,
with gentle genitive and accusative
sifted in, here and there for luck, so
reckon that it means that you must keep
some metals about you"
"Yes, that must be it. 1t stands to
reason that is it. They are in the ma
ture of lightning rods, you know. Put
on your freman's helmet, Mortimer; that
is mostly metal"
got it and put it On-a heavy and
clumsy and uncomfortable thing on a
hot night i'm a close room. Even my
night dress seemed to be more clothing
than l strictly needed.
Mortimer, think your middle ought
to be protected. Won't you buckle on
your militia saber, please?"
complied.
"NOw Mortimer, you ought to have
some way to protect your feet, DOplease
put on Your spurs"
Mortimer, it says, 'Das Gewitter lau-
ten ist sehr gefahrlich, we'll die GlOcke
selbst, sOwie der durch das Lauten YER
anlasste LuftZug und die HOhe deS
ThurmeS den BitZ anZchen kOnnten.'
Eyes, it seems to me that-if that is
the past participle of the nOmintaye case
singular, and / reckon is. Yes, l think
it means that on account of the height
of the church tower and absence of
Laftzug it would be very dangerous
(sehr gefahrlicD not to ring the bdlls in
time of storm; and moreover, don't
you see, the very wording"
Never mind that, Mortimer; don't
waste the precious time in talk. Get
the large dinner bell; it is right there in
the hall. Quick, Mortimer, dear; we are
almost safe. Oh, dear, do believe we
are going to be saved at lastp
Our little summer establishment
stands on the top of a high range of hills
overlooking valley. Several farm
houses are in our neighbOrhOOd, the
nearest some 300 or 400 yards away.
When /, mounted on the chair, had
been changing that dreadful bell mat
ter of seven or eight minutes, our shut
tiers were suddenly torn open from with
out, and brilliant bulls eye lantern was
Thrust i'm at the window. followed by the
hOarse inquiry:
"What in the nation is the matter
here?"