The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-01-17

[xhe Latest Episode In the Domestic In
Of That Peculiar Couple.

me. 4 follower nm. lounu nih ofei-
hauling the cloihcs-baskct.
Mrs. Bowser." he began by way OF
explanation. do you Know that we
have Ind close Gala dozen close
calls from being burned alive In our
bcds?''
LANDS. no! What do you meanw
~ mean that there hasn't been an
bur In the twenty-four since we
moved into this house that IL was not
vlinble 40 take fire. la other words, we
have been slumbering on the edge Of
(rolcano."
: WHY. Mr.. Bowscrr'.
'Nolhing but the hand OF Provi.
dcnce has prevented great disaster, "
he continued MS he dumped the last OF
chic clothes out OF the hamper.
But what has that hamper to do
with itp"
Everything. Mrs. Bowser, did you
ever hear Of spontaneous combustionP"
'Of course.
well. there hasn't been day that
all the elements necessary 10 sponfa-
'nc0us combustion haven't been present
Ia this hamper Also. in various other
places 10 this house. slnnddcr over
our narrow escape.
"You you haven't gone aud got an
other fire escape. have you?"
There you gol Always ready to
throw up somethingl suppose you'll
call this notion OF minc?"
What has spontaneous combustion
got 10 do with our clothes hamper?"
Everything. Here are the clc-
ments right here 10 start lire. Here
are cotton. wool and silk crowded to-
Efther in temperature Of at least 80
Z, egrces. Nothing could be more
, lyorablc.r
/ III don't believe itl''
WHAT Whatr' shouted Mr.. Bow
scr. holding mp a Fellowship in ono
hand and one Of baby's stockings in
the other. You don't believe ia spon.
taneous combustionp
Under certain conditions. yes, but
those conditions can not DO found
here. Some one has been working on
your imagination
oh! They havel On my imagina-
tionw he softly whispered. When
every scientist and scientific publica-
ton believes Ia spontaneous combus.
tion--when 1t Is practically demon
strated every day IN the ycar-when II
IL "a fact as we'll known ~ that horse
has teeth. You stand there and tell me
that ! have been played onl Mrs.
Bowser. will you have the kindness TO
20 down stairs?"
went down. and he took every arti-
Gle from the hamper and spread them
out on the floor. Then he went
through every clothes closet and
bureau drawer. and il was fully two
hours before he came down aud heaved
great sigh Of relief. and said:
'Thcrcl We shall not be burned
niiye~-not tonight!
There was no danger" I replied.
There wasn't. ehl Mrs. Bowser. I
~"
His emotion overcame him. and /
got opportunity TO say;
Why don't other peoples houses
burn up through spontaneous combus-
ti0nP'
No answer.
II haven't seen anything in the
papers about clothes-hamper explo-
sion.
Mr.. Bowser gritted his teeth.
III IL has got to that pass that the
sheets of the spare bed can't come in
contact with the baby's stockings with
cut striking fire, we'd better I'LL the
cellar with tin boxes
Mr.. Bowscr kicked ut the cat. but
missed her by about two feet.
bat therc'll be a fire. Of course.
You have overlooked an old vest some-
where aud 1t will get down of its
hook and walk over to one Of your old
shoes aud arrange for bonfire. /
shan't sleep wink tonight"
Mr.. Bowser circled around the room
.hrec times with great dignity. aud
then went of to bed. When he was
ouf OF tie way went out and had
talk with the cook. The result was
that we brought nm iron kettle into
the front hail, got out some cotton
batting. and rs l went upstairs she
whispered 10 me:
Il understand. ma'am. La exactly,
half an hour I'm 20 touch IL of.
Mr.. BOwscr was Ia bed. aud though
| spoke about the tcool wave. baby's
cold and other things. he had nothing
90 say. l wasn't hurt, however. /
cot Into bed aud waited. IL wasn't
over ten minutes until the odor OF
bwning cotton was plain enough In
->khk room. aud sat up aud gave MIR.
.Nhssor dig and asked:
'Dnn'f you smell smokeP"
sSmokcl" he shouted after sniff or
two. II smell iire!"
Perhaps the cook lighted the gas
with paper"
perhaps the COMPOUNDED house Is
anrel Che jumps out OF bed) OF course
II Isl (hc goes 70 the door,. She's all
nhlaze down stairsl Fircl Firel
rhe babyi" ! shouted As he danced
around. but he was gone. carrying his
panlalo0ns and one shoe under his
m. 80. a. In.rn flt& hall. ahoufffur