Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-10

FIRE IN THE BOwsER MANSION.
Mr.. b. Does All the Yelling, While His
Wife Puts 1t Out
From the Detroit Free Press
"Mrs. Bowser, it is possible that this house
may take fire some time" observed Mr. Bowser
g. he laid aside his paper the other evening.
.'Yes."
"If it takes fire while I am homo all I expect
of you is to take the child and get out DOORS
shall peril my life to subdue the confagra-
ton, and if find it cannot be done 1 shall save
all the valuables"
perhaps could help you"
"And perhaps you couldn't. You'd do more
damage than good if you tried to. want you
to remember and get right out and stay out"
II have been told that 1 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 q woman on earth who'd have pres
ence Of mind enough in case Of fire to save
her own shoes! All I 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 upstairs
Mr.. Bowser must have dropped the match
upon rug lying near. We were hardly in bed
before smelled smoke, but when I 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 ut
tered his first snore thick cloud of smoke
poured into our bed room all of q sudden, and
at the same moment the darkness was lighted
up by Pickering fame. The house was GER
tainly on fire, aud shook Mr.. Bowser and in
formed him Of the fact
"W-what is it," he gasped, as he sat up in
bed.
THE house is on arel 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!"
can't put 1t out. It must be in the back hall"
Fire! Fire! Fire!" he yelled, as he sought
to pull on his pants. "Our house is on Are.
We shall be burned alive"
In spite of the 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 on hind side before, and he WAS
sprawled out on the bed and kicking them of
when was all dressed and ready to leave the
room. / was determined to see where the fire
was before I took the baby and went down
stairs. The smoke was very thick, but the
tongue OF fame guided me down the hall, and
I found the rug and Dashboard and . door cas-
ing ablaze.
Fire! Fire! Firer yelled Mr.. Bowssr at
this moment as he dashed into the hall.
Come and help me put it out?' called to
him but ha alreadv on his down atairs
to the telephone.
Covering my msuth and nose as we'll as 1
could felt my way to the lavatory. There
was nothing but a tumbler at hand, but after
had filled 1T several times and dashed its con-
tents along the base saw that had the best
OF the blaze After opening window to let
the smoke drive out brought some more water
and extinguished the last OF the fire. Mean
while l could not help but hear Mr.. Bowser.
He rushed to the telephone and rang it contin-
uously for twenty seconds. and then yelled:
Hello, central! Hello central! Fire! Fire!
Fire! My house is on fire! Send up the police
and three engines right awayr'
He couldn't wait for an answer, but took
made a dash into the parlor and out by the
front hall. all the time yelling 'tire!" at the
top of his voice, and then it occurred to
him to go to the hre-alarm box down on the
corner. Out he rushed, barefooted and bare
headed. and after tryin for half minute to
dence where the KEY was kept. His shouts and
yells had aroused everybody within half a
mile, aud the pOssessor OF the key threw up
his window and called:
''Is that you, Bowser?"
.'Yes its me! Nv house is on firer'
''Sure? 1 didn't see any light over there"
''Its on fire from cellar to garrett and ex-
pect my wife and child have persisted in the
fames!''
That's awful! Here's the key"
.,,.1x,
but he 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, and had
got the smoke out Of the hall and was down
stairs when dozen fremen dashed up the steps
to fight the contiagration. l showed them up
stairs to investigate. Mr.. BOwser went with
them. After they got through laughing they
turned on Mr.. Bowser.
They called him by $50 different titles, be-
soak his head. They sneered at his excuses
and laughed at his explanations, and as they
retired one of them Remarked:
Its good thing for you, old bowlegs, that
you have got a GUARDIAN"
When they had gone and we were left to our
selves Mr.. Bowser looked very important and
observed:
well. made mighty short work of that
blaze"
You! What did YOU do?' asked
Wh"s uiu w! luis. Do"s.r' 10 you III
tend to claim any credit for extinguishing that
blaze?"
Il do But for me the house would have
gone. Mr.. Bowser, you were 30 ratified that you
acted like q crazy man."
What! You put out the fire! 1 ratified!
Mrs. Bowser, this is too much. l see through
the conspiracy. On several occasions you have
driven me to the limit. This is beyond
the limit shall see my lawyer in the morn
ing"
But when morning came he forgot all about
1t. He was too busy bringing the neighbors in
to show what narrow escape he had and how
his presence of mind saved the house.