Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-10-19

It's Very DilftrCn- When the Fire Is All
Dat.
Copyright, 1858, b. Charles 3. Lewis.
Mrs. Bowsor," said Mr.. Bowser as he
looked up from his paper the other even
ing, has it ever occurred to you that this
house might get aire some nightt'
How could it," she innoccntly asked.
How could it, Why, in 10000 different
ways. That's just like a woman. SO long
as nobody builds bonfire in the basement
she argues tha5 the house is safe from a
con6agraJiou. You should 80 to bed every
night with the possibilities Of fire in
slew
"Do you?N
"Ccrtainly do. and know exactly how
| should act under the circumstances. 1
should be JUST as cool and calm as ut this
very moment. Iave you ever given q
thought Is to WHIST you would do?'
- never have, but | know l should go
out of the house. she answered.
"That's the woman OF it-no thought, no
plan bat trusting to luck. There isn't one
chance in n hundred. Mrs. Bowser-no, not
one chance in a nilliOn--that you would
escape with your life unless assisted you.
Nou would awake TO be confused, mistake
the clothesprcss door for the back stairs,
until overcome by sploke and heat"
IN your confusion you might 90 into the
bathroom" quietly observed Mrs Bowser
an my confusion! Are you talking to
man - years old or 10 Il boy of 3? It's no
wonder that women are the ignorant, help
less creatures we find them. The minutea
husband begins TO tall; sense his wife loses
all interest in his conversation and even
ridicule, him. It's all right, however-all
right. II yo'i want to leave your charred
skeleton amidst the blackened ruins of the
house, have 10 particular objection. |
suppose could hire a man to gather up tho
bones in q aoapboX and bury EN- some
where for Il couple Of dcllars'
Ard Mr.. I:Owscr crossed his hands under
bis coattai!s and proceeded tc pace back
and forth across the room and utterly
ignore the fac, Of Mus. Browser continued
presence. \ night or ,wo latrr, as he slept
and dreamed. something Iud-ej his ribs,
and he heard a voice saying:
"Wake mp, Mir. BoNecr! Wake up!
Can't You smell the smoke? do believe
the house Is on fire
1t was the voice of Mrs, Bowser, and he
sat up in lsd and rubbed his eyes and
shouted "l'ire" and "po!ice' at the top of
hi, voice.
Get ojst Of bed and hurry down stairs
AID see if yoJ can put it our she called 10
him a. she Spraug ont herself.
Mr. Boweer Lad declared That he would
be calm and >iag he had figured out a reg
ular programme 10 follow. Perhaps it Was
town on his programme to roll ont of bou
with the coverings "wapsed' around him
til it tool. two minutes 10 kick himself
| loose. During the interval he was yelling
Fire" and directing Mr.. Bowser to tele.
| phone to the police station. She had the
| Bedroom door open for him to run down
stairs, but he got into the hall to canter mp
and down and dodge into the various rooms
and ont again.
MIR. Bowser, be calm" she called to him
as She seized his arm and tried to hold him.
"Yes-ycs-I am calm-Fire Police! The
house is on fire." he shouted in reply as he
broke away and continued his cantering.
Mrs. Bowser let him 80 and hurried down
stairs, where she found the covering of the
| lounge smoking and smoidering from con-
tact with the cigar he had smoked just be
| fore going to bed She ran into the kitchen
and filled the first dish she could find with
water and had the fire out at one dash.
She had turned to go up stairs when there
was a fail and great humping and clat-
tcrng. and down rolled Mr.. Bowser with
his arms tightly clasped around a soapbox
full Of old hats and shoes which he had
pulled out Of the storeroom at the back of
| the house,
Our child" she screamed as he brought
up in the hall.
"Ies-our child be hanged! Police! We
shall be burned alive" he yelled as he
struggled up and few up the stairway.
She followed minute later to find him
gallopiug around the upperhall with foot
bath under one arm and an old picture
frame under the other, and he didn't come
to q realizing sense of the situation until he
had raised back window and heaved them
into the yard. When he had learned what
caused the smoke and that all danger was
passed he sat dewn on chair and waved
his arm enthusiastically and excaimed
Didn't tell you so? Didn't say should
be rs cool as ice and make every move ac-
cording to programme? BY George, but
that was a close shave! You were perfect
ly helpless, ard between having to look out
for you and the child and put the fire ont
had business enough for any two meul"
Mrs. Bowser looked hard at him and was
going TO speak, hut on second thought She
didn't say a word, and TO this hour Mr.
! Bowser continues to brag Of how he did just
lle right thing at the right time to SAFE
| them ali from being cremated.