Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1888-03-07


ser as he was fixing hook in the cas-
ing of our bed room window.
down stairs, probably"
Well, we have a front and back
stairs, and here are three chamber
windows opening out on veranda roofs.
Could't we escape by some of these
ways?"
4" If l thought we could, would l be
fool enough to go and throw away $50
on this apparatus he angrily de-
manded.
IL suppose you know best"
Mrs. Bowser, when l don't know
best will resign. While you have
never given the subject of fire escapes
one single thought, I have devoted
years of study to it. Take our wall
eyed darling and go down stairs, and
when I want you'll will call"
In about an hour he called. He was
in great good nature. He had the
hook firmly in place, aud hanging to it
was rope aud some sort of harness.
" 1t isn't much of an ornament to our
bedroom" l ventured to observe.
" What has ornament got to do with
fire escapes? Isn't your life worth
more to you than the daily presence of
a tea-store chrome? The escape is
now ready"
For what?"
ITO escape by, of course. Here is
the situation: 1t is midnight. The
cook, while rumaging about in search of
her lost quid of gum, has dropped
lighted matches under the front and
back stairs. The flames have been
smOuldering for hours. They now
break forth with sudden fury, cutting
off our escape from either stairs.n
And we crawl out on the veranda
roofs"
Do we? Not much We start to do
so, but we find that all the verandas
have fallen to the ground, the supports
having been heaved out by the frost"
Well?"
Well, we awake with the crackle
of flames in our ears. While you
wiring your hands and declare that we
are lost, l calmly secure all the money,
jewelry and valuable papers and coOlly
make preparations to escape. 1 calmly
pull down the rope harness, seat you
and the baby therein, and the next
moment you are landed on the ground.
l follow just as the engines arrive, and
the papers of the next morning chron-
icle my wonderful selfpossession in
the face of awful danger"
And don't they say anything about
me?"
Not word, or, if they do, it is to
remark that you were in a dead faint
and your feet never looked so large"
And can you go down by that rope
and harness ?"
Can 1? Can you chop wood with
an axeP What is it for except to go
down On?"
/ would almost as soon be burned
up as to try it. I don't believe you
would dare go down on it."
Mrs. Bowser, what a wife believes
and what a husband knows are two
different things. Is it likely 1 would
purchase this apparatus and put it up
here if 1 didn't dare use it? shove
up that window"
But wouldn't try it. You are
rather clumsy, you know ?"
Another insult! Shove up that
window! !"
put up the sash and he seated
himself in the harness, sat down on the
sill and grasped the rope over his head,
aud with look of disdain in his eyes
he swung himself off. A wild howl
rent the air, followed by the thud of
something striking the earth, and
looked out to see Mr.. Bowser lying in a
heap below the window. 1 ran down
and out as soon as possible, and after
seven or eight minutes he was able to
limp into the house with me.
Mr.. BOwser, are you much hurt?"
l asked.
He glared at me but did not reply.
Pm sorry you tried it,"
Some more glare
l told you thought it dangerous. d"
MRS. BOwserw he huskily began
as he Jumped down on the sofa, "this
is the beginning of the end !"
What do you mean ?"
l mean that you have made the last
attempt on my life you'll ever have a
chance tOl You bounded me for
weeks and weeks to get this fire escape
and you meant my death by fall!
"Why, Mr.. Bowser I"
Say no morel l saw it in your
eye as you pushed me off the sill To
morrow we separate p
But when the morrow came he
sneaked up and removed the apparatus
and pitched it into the alley, and FIRE
escapes havn't been referred to since.
Detroit Free Press.