The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-07

Va NONl " NJ
ming strikes any other substance once
it strikes water fifty times. Do turn it
off. o, dear, | am sure that nothing
in this world can save us. 1t does seem
to me that-Mortimer what was that?"
1T was plaguy picture. Knocked
it down"
Then you are close to the wall! l
never heard of such imprudence! Don't
you k'10U that there's no better conduc-
tor for lightning than wall? Come
away from there! And you came as near
as anything to swearing, too. o, how
can you be so desperately wicked and
your family in such peril? Mortimer.
did you order feather bed as L asked
you to do?n
"No. Forgot it,
Forgot it, 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 in here-come quick, before you
have a chance to commit any more fran
tic indiscretions.
L tried, but the little closet would not
hold us both with the door shut, unless
we could be content to smother. L
gasped a while, then forced my way
out. NV wife called out:
Mortimer, something must be done
for your preservation. Give me that
German book that is on the end of the
mantel-piece and candle, but don't
light it; give me match, l will light it
in here. That book has some directions
in it,
got the book-at cost of vase and
some other brittle things, and the mad
am shut herself up with her candle. |
had moments peace; then she called
out:
Mortimer, what was that?"
Nothing but the cat"
1.-The cat! O, destruction! Catch her,
and shut her UP in the wash-stand. Do
be quick. love; cats are fwU of electricity.
l just know my hair will turn white with
this nights awful perils."
| heard the muffled sobbings again.
But for that, | should not have moved
hand or foot in such q wild enterprise
in the dark.
However l went at my task-over
chairs, and against all sorts of Obstruc-
tions, 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
bred dollars in broken furniture and
shins Then these muffled words came
from the closet:
1T says the safest thing is to stand
on a chair in the middle of the room,
Mortimer; and the legs of the chair
must be insulated with non-conductors.
That is, you must set the legs of the
chair in glass tumblers. Fat boom
- bang! - Smash! y, hear that!
Do hurry, Mortimer, before you are
struck
1 managed to find and secure the
tumblers. / 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 2.
B., Ringe, Uhren, SchluSSel, etc, Won
SIGH und halle SIGH auch NIGHT an solchen
Stellen auf, wo viele Metallic bic einan-
der liegen, oder NIT andern Korpern
verbunden sind, vie an Herden, Oefen,
Eisengittern IL. dgl.' What does that
mean, Mortimer? Does it mean that
you must keep metals about you, or
keep them array from you?"
"Well, | hardly know. 1t appears
to be a little mixed. Alderman advice
is more or less mixed. However, |
think that that sentence is mostly in
the dative case, with little genitive
and accusative sifted in, here and there,
for luck so it means that you must
keep some metals about YOU"
Eyes, that must be it. 1t stands to
reason that it is. They are in the ma
ture of lightning-rods, you know. Put
on your fireman's helmet, Mortimer !;
that is mostly metal.
| got it and put it On-a very heavy
and clumsy and uncomfortable thing on
a hot night in a close room. Even my
seemed to be more clothing
than 1 strictly needed.
Mortimer, l think your middle
ought to be protected. Won't you
buckle on your militia sabre, please?"
l complied.
Now, Mortimer, you ought to have
some way to protect your feet. Do
please put on your spurs"
Ibid tin silence and kept my tenn
per as well as l could.
Mortimer, it says: 'Das Gewitter
lauten ist sehr gefahrlich, we'll die
GIocke selbst, sowie der durch das Lau-
ten veranlasste Luftzug und die Hohe
des Thurmes den Blitz anziehm konn-
ten Mortimer, does that mean thatit
is dangerous not to ring the church
bells during a thunderstorm
:" Yes it seems to mean that-if that
is the past participle of the nominative
case singular, and reckon it is. Yes,
l think it means that on account of the
height of the church tower and the alb
sence of LatttzUg it would be very dan
gerous (sehr getabriicb) not to ring the
bells in time of a 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. o, dear, l do be-
Ieve we are going to be saved, at last ~
Our little summer establishment
stands on top of high range of hills,
overlooking valley. Several farm
houses are in our neighborhood-the
nearest some three or four hundred
yards away.
When |, mounted on tho chair, had
been changing that dreadful bell mat
ter of seven or eight minutes, our shut
ters were suddenly torn open from
without and brilliant bulls eye lantern
was thrust in at the window, followed
by a hOarSe inquiry:
What in the nation is the matter
here?"
The window was full of mems heads,
and the heads were full of eyes that
stared wildly at my night-dress and my
warlike accOutrementS.