The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-10-10

tinued, as he dumped the last of the
clothes out Of the hamper.
"But what has that hamper to do with
ito"
Every thing. Mrs. Bowser, did you
ever hear of spontaneous combustionP"
"0f course"
"Well, there hasn't been q day that
all the elements necessary to spontane-
Gus combustion haven't been present in
this hamper. Also, in various other
places in this house. / shudder over our
narrow escape"
''You-you haven't gone and got an
other fire-escape, have your
There you goi Always ready to throw
up something! Isuppose you'll can this
a notion of mine2"
What has spontaneous combustion
got to do with our clothes hamperP"
Every thing. Here are the elements
right here to start fire. Here are cot
ton, wool and silk crowded together IN
temperature of at least ninety de-
grees. Nothing could be more favor
able"
II don't believe it,
What. Whatr' shouted Mr. Bowser
holding up FELLOWSHIP in one hand and
one of baby's stockings in the other.
You don't believe in spontaneous COM
bustion!'
Under certain conditions, yes, but
those conditions can not be found here.
Some one has been working on your
imagination"
'Oh! They have! On my magma
tionr' he softly whispered. "When
every scientist and scientific publication
believes in spontaneous combustion
when it is practically demonstrated
every day in the year, when
it is fact is as well known as that
horse has teeth, you stand there and
tell me that have been played onl
to go down-stairs?"
went down, and he took every article
from the hamper and spread them out
on the floor. Then he went through
every clothes-closet and bureau drawer,
and it was fully two hours before he
came down and heaved great sigh of
relief, and said:
There! We shall not be burned alive
NOT tonight
There was no danger" replied.
There wasn't, eh! Mrs. Bowser, +
IF
His emotion overcame him, and / got
opportunity to say:
''Why don't other peoples houses burn
up through spontaneous combustion?"
Ne answer.
Haven't seen any thing in the papers
about clothes-hamper explosion"
Mr.. Bowser gritted his teeth.
IF It has got to that pass that the
sheets of the spare bed can't come in
contact with the bsby's stockings with
out striking fire, we'd better fill the cell
lar with tin boxes"
Mr.. Bowser kicked at the cat, but
missed her by about two feet
But therell be fire, of course. You
have overlooked an old vest somewhere,
andit will get down off its hook and
walk over to one of your old shoes and
arrange for a bonfire. shau't sleep
wink tonight"
Mr.. .Bowser circled around the room
three times with great dignity, and then
went of TO bed. When he was out of
the way ] went out and had talk with
the cook. The result was that we
brought an iron kettle into the front
hall, got out some cotton-batting, and as
went upstairs, she whispered to me:
81 understand, ma'am. In exactly
half an hour I'm to touch it of"
Mr.. Bowser was in bed, and though
a. Ipfe nnl6
and other things, he had nothing to say.
wasn't hurt, however. got into bed
and waited. 1t wasn't over ten minutes
until the odor of burning cotton was
plain enough in the room, and I sat up
and gave Mr.. Bowser dig and asked:
Don't you smell smoker"
Smoker he shouted, after sniff or
two. Il smell fire.
Perhaps the cook lighted the gas
with paper"
Perhaps the COMPOUNDED house is
sfire! Che jumps out of bed of course it
is the goes to the door, she's all ablaze
Downstairs! Firel Firer'
The baby shouted as he danced
around, but he was gone, carrying his
pantaloons and one shoe under his arm.
He ran down the hall, shouting fire"
at the top Of his voice, came back and
grabbed his necktie and shouted again,
and the next heard of him he was in
frontof the house yelling like an Indian.
half dozen men were going by, on
their way hpme from some sort of con-
yention, and they rushed into the house
and soon located the fire. heard Mr..
Bowser telling them that he had long
expected it, and that he had the most
careless wife in the world, and that he