Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-31
Mr.. AND MRS. BoWsER.
The Old Man Demonstrates His Crest
Presence of Mind.

"Mrs. Bowser, it is possible that this house
may take fire some time," observed MIR.
Bowser as he laid aside his paper tbs other
evening
eyes"
of it takes fire while I am at home all
expect of you is to take the child and get out
doors l shall peril my life to subdue the
coniagration and if l find it cannot be done
1 shall save all the valuables."
Perhaps could help you"
"Aud perhaps you couldn't. You'd do
more damage than good if you tried to. want
you 20 remember and get right out and stay
out"
Il have been told that I had great presence
of mind, Mr.. Bowser."
eyes, and you may have been told that you
were the empress of Russia. Presence OF
mind There isn't woman on earth who'd
have presence of mind enough in case OF a
fire to save her own shoes! Ali want cE you
is to follow my directions"
1t was singular that the test should come 50
soon. In lighting the gas in the hall up stalrs
Mr. Bowser must have dropped the match
upon rug lying near. We were hardly In
bed before l smelled smoke. but when men
toned the fact Mr.. Bowser growied:
Nonsense! The cook probably threw some
eggshells into the range when she was clear
ing up her supper dishes. Your nose is al
ways smelling fire or burglars or sewer gas,
and it is always wrong"
He went to sleep and I continued to sniff
that cdor Ten minutes after Mr.. bowser
had uttered his first snore a thick cloud OF
smoke poured into our bedroom all of sud-
den, and at the same moment the darkness
was lighted up by a Pickering flame. Tbs
house was certainly on fire, and l shook Mr..
Bowser and informed him of the fact.
"W-what is it. he gasped, as he sat up
in bed.
THE house is on fire! Can't you see the
smoke and the blaze!"
! was out on the floor and dressing ma
when he rolled oEJ of bed, sprang to the door
and shouted at the top of his voice:
Murder! Policel Fret Weare all on fire
up hereI'
"Weu, slip on your clothes and see if you
can't put 1t out. 1t must be in the back hall. u
Fire! Fire Fret" he yelled as he sought
to pull on his pants ''Our house is on fret
We shall be burned alivel"
! He rushed to the telephone and rang itcon-
tinuously for twenty seconds, and then
! yelled:
Hello, centrall Hello, central! Eirel
/ Firel Fire Ny house is on frel Send I'm
! the police and three engines right away"
| He couldn't wait for an answer, but took
! three or four circuits around the sitting
room. made dasf; into the Darlor and,out
by the front hall, all the tine yeiihig, 'Flte!
at the top Of his voice, and then it occurred
20 him to go to the fire alarm box down on
! the corner. Out he rushed, barefooted and
bareheaded, and after trying for half a min
ute to pull the box OF the post he ran to the
residence where the key was kept His shouts
and yells had aroused everybody within half
mile, and the possessor Of the key threw up
/ his window and called:
! ''Is that you, Bowser"
| ''Yes, it's me! My house is on fre!'
! 'Sure? 1 didn't see any light over there. {"
| otis on fire frem cellar to garnet, and
/ expect my wife and child have persisted in
the fames"
/ CHATS awful Here's the key"
! Mr.. BowSer rot only turned In one alarm,
bur ne kept on sending them in until the first
/ steamer arrived, and the driver Of it ordered
/ him away from the box and called him a
/ blank fool. Five engines came rushing up,
ami | had got the smoke out of the hall and
was down stairs when dozen tiremen dashed
/ up the steps to fight the conhagration. l
/ showed them up stairs to investigate. MI.
! Bowser went with them. After they got
| through laughing they turned on Mr.. Bow
Ser They called him by 100 different titles,
besides advising him to go and sandpaper
and soak his head. They sneered at his ex-
cuses and laughed at his explanations, and as
/ they retired one of them remarked:
! Its a good thing for you, old bow!egs.
that you have got a guardianl"
When they had gone and we were left to
ourselves Nj Bowser looked very important
and observed:
''Well, made mighty short work of that
blaze"
"You! What did you dog 1 asked.
''What did do? Mrs. Bowser, do you in
tend to claim any credit for extinguishins
that blaze:n
Il dc. But for me the house would have
gone. Mr.. Bowser, you were SO ratified that
you acted like q crazy man"
WHAT you put out the fire! / ratified!
Mrs. Bowser this is too much. | see through
the conspiracy. On several occasions yap
have driven me to the limit. This is bsIoad.
/ Detroit Free Press