The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-08-15

FIRE IN THE BOWSER MANSION
MIR. B. DOES ALL THE YELLING,
WHILE HIS WIFE PUTS 1T OUT.
The Lord of the Manor is Called Hard
Names by the Firemen.-He Claims Great
Credit for Presence of Mind.
"Mrs. Bowser, it is possible that this
house may take fire some time, " observed
Mr.. Bowser, as he laid aside his paper
the other evening,
Eyes"
"If 1t takes fire while am home all
expect of you is to take the child and
get out doors. shall peril my life to
subdue the conflagration, and If find it
cannot be done, l shall save all the valu-
ables."
perhaps 1 could help you"
"And perhaps you couldn't. You'ddo
more damage than good if you tried to.
| want you to remember and get right
out and stay out"
Il have been told that had great
presence of mind, Mr.. Bowser."
"Yes, and you may have been told that
you were the Empress of Russia. Pres
ence of mind There isn't woman on
earth who'd have presence OF mind
enungh in case of fire to save her own
shoes. All want of you is to follow my
directions"
1t was singular that the test should
come so soon. In lighting the gas in the
hall up stairs Mr., Bowser must have
dropped the match upon rug lying near.
We were hardly in bed before l smelled
smoke, but when mentioned the fact,
Mr.. Bowser growled
Nonsense The cook probably threw
some eggshells into the range when she
was clearing up her supper dishes. Your
nose is always smelling fire or burglars
or sewer gas, and it is always wrong"
He went to sleep and continued to
sniff that odor. Ten minutes after Mr.
Bowser had uttered his first snore thick
cloud of smoke poured into our bedroom
all of sudden, and at the same moment
the darkness was lighted up by a flicker
ing flame, The house was certainly on
fire, and shook MIR. Bowser and in
formed him Of the fact.
"W-what is it ?" he gasped as he sat
up in bed.
1.-The house is on fire |! Can't you see
the smoke and the blaze ?"
was out on the floor and dressing me
when he rolled out of bed, sprang to the
door and shouted at the top of his voice;
Murder Police Fire We are all
on fire up here !"
"Well, slip on your clothes and see If
you can't put 1t out. 1t must be in the
back hall"
Fire Fire Fire |" he yelled, as he
sought TO put on his pants. Our house
is on fire. We shall be burned alive"
In spite of tho peril of the situation,
had to laugh at Mr.. Bowser's antics. He
first got the left leg in the right leg OF
the pants, Then he fell over in getting
out of them; got up and drew them or
hind side before, and he was sprawleo
; out on the bed and kicking them of
when was all dressed and ready to leavf
the room. l was determined to SET
where the fire was before took the baby
and went down stairs. The smoke wa
very thick, but the tongue of flame guild
ed me down the hall, and found thu
rug and Dashboard and door casing
abaze.
Fire Fire Fire !" yelled Mr., Bow.
ser at this moment as he dashed into thu
; hall.
Come and help me put it out"
called to him, but he was already on hi
way down stairs TO the telephone.
Covering my mouth and nose as wei
as could, felt my way to the lavatory
There was nothing but tumbler at ham
but after had filled it several times AM
; dashed its contents along the base say
that had the best Of the blaze. Afte
! opening a window to let the smoke driv
;; ; out, brought some more water and ex
! tinguished the last of the fire. Mean
: time | could not help but hear Mr.. Bow
: ser. He rushed TO the telephone an
rang it continuously for twenty second
and then yelled:
"hello, central Hello, central: Fire
Fire Fire My house is on fire Sen
up the police and three engines righ
: away ~
:, He couldn't wait for an answer, bu
u took three or four circuits around tn
y sitting-room, made dash into the par
y lor and out by the front hall, all the tim
!; yelling fire !" at the top of his voice
and then it occurred to him to go to tn
: fire-alarm box down on the corner. o.
he rushed, barefooted and barekeadeC
= and after trying for half minute to pu
! the box off the post, he ran to the res
I dence where the key was kept. II
Il shouts and yells had aroused everybod
> within half mile, and the possesser {
u !. the key threw up his window and callet
4 ''Is that you, Bowser "
Eyes, its me. My house is on fire."
Sure didn't gee any light ovC
IS here"
n ITS on fire from cellar to garret, an
3, l expect my wife and baby have pc
n ished ID the flames"
/, That's awful, Here's the key"
ID Mr.. Bowser not only turned in oil
y alarm, but he kept on sending them
e until the first steamer arrived, and Il
driver of it ordered him away from Il
a box and called him blank fool. FIJI
Iy engines came rushing up, and l had g
IS the smoke out of the hall and was dow
~ stairs when half dozen firemen dasht
n up the steps to fightthe conflagratio
st | showed them up stairs to investigat
,r Mr.. BowseT went with them. After thu
y got through laughing they turned on NJ
Bowser.
ID They called him by $50 different title
p. besides advising him to go and sandpap
ne and soak his head. They sneered at b
lr excuses and laughed at his explanation
A. and as they retired, one of them I
marked
w Its a good thing for you, old bowlee
u that you have got guardian"
10 When they had gone aud we were le
II TO ourselves, Mr.. Bowser looked very il
~ portant and observed
! "Well, l made mighty short work
y, that blaze"
Is You What did you do 2" l aske
OF "What did l do Mrs. Bowser, do y,
al intend to claim any credit for exit
gushing that blaze 2"
tie 81 do. But for me the house wou
ey have gone. Mr.. Bowser, you were
70. ratified you acted like a crazy man."
so "What You put out the fire !
as ratified Mrs. Bowser, this is too muc
| see through the conspiracy. On sevel
nv occasions you have driven me to the Iii
it. This is beyond the limit. l shall |
my lawyer in the morning"
But when morning came he forgot
about it, He WIS too busy bringing
,ot neighbors in to show what narrow {
, on cape he had, and how his presence
Of mind saved the house.-DetroH n
,;s Press.
pn ------
The Local Trout Law.