The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1889-05-11
NO. 21.
NOT A SALAffANDER.
Painful Episode in the History OF the NC
Swat Emily.

A Painful Episode in the History OF the Nc
Swat F-mily.
"Billiger, the room is growing cold"
Absorbed in his task Of reading
story by the celebrated novelist "o-
wells, in order to win bet OF fifty dol
lars he had made with Swackhanmer
that he could do it in two consecutive
sittings and come out alive, MIR. Nc
Swat paid no attention to the remark.
"Bnliger," repeated Mrs. McSwat,
presently, land the room is growing
cold"
81 had not observed it, Lobelia,' he
replied. as he hastily sketched large
fist on the margin of the page. to en-
able him to find the place again and
looked up. Is t any colder than 1t has
been all afternoon.
.'Of course it is" retorted his WIFE
you don't feel 1t because you put on
your overcoat when you began to read
that story"
What do you want me to doP" he
inquired.
You know rs we'll as / do. The
furnace needs more coal"
Bill:ger laid aside his book, rose to
his feet and yawned-a large, frank
unreserved and expansive yawn.
'Ill attend to it, Lobelia," he said
and went down into the basement
by George. I'll make 1t warm
enough for her" he muttered, as he
threw shovelful after shovelful OF coal
into the furnace. "Tll give her heat
enough to crack the wall paper IL she
wants it." he continued, and he show.
eled in some more. "No trouble to
show goods. If you don't see all the
coal you want ask for it lguess that's
about enough. though"
And he closed the furnace door ano
stood aifew moments watching 1t.
.It doesn't seem to blaze up just en-
actly az it ought" he said. "In stir il
up little"
He opened the furnace door.
There was sudden bursting into
flame. fierce puff. binding glare en-
veloped him, and with yell OF terror,
he started up the stairway.
"Billiger McSwat!" exclaimed Ills
wife, az he came tearing into the sit
ting-room, what in the world have YOU
been dong to yourselfp''
Biliiger stepped in front OF mirror
and looked long and sorrowfully at the
| reflection that met his gaze.
His eyebrows and eyelashes we're
| gone, his front hair was shriveled, his
m.stache had disappes~'sd. ard sorry
looking crisp on each side OF his face
was all that remained of a once glorf
| Gus pair of side-whiskers
what in the world have you been
doing to yourself?" repeated his an1-
| ious wife. ~F--i
.Lobelia," he replied, in the voicc OF
a man who has waded through the
quicksand Of doubt and uncertainty,
nut has reached the solid ground OF
truth at last, ~ have been making an
Internal idiot of myselfl''
1T will all grow out again, Bllig-
ar" said Mrs. McSwat, soothingly,
some hours later; and she leaned over
the lounge on which he lay, and with
her soft hand she daubed his scorched
face with vaseline and cold cream.
| ..Lobelia," he groaned. as he sur
veyed himself mournfully In hand
lass, I'm ruin-a hideous ruin. IL
lou had known what a CHASTITY specta-
4 lie a buff of flame would make of me,
..Eobelia," he continued. In faltering
yoice, '.would-would you have mar
lied mep"
| .:Blliger." she replied, as she put @
sesh dab of salye on his face. Il would.
You need somebody 60 take care OF
tyou. Chicago Tribune.