The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-23
A Queer Expsrience.

'Of course" said the man with the auto
matte glass eye, according to the New York
Tribune, as he blew out a cloud OF smoke
from his cigar, 1t undoubtedly is not only
foolish. but also dangerous, to read in Hed
with lamp or candle, and IL is an undouoted
TACT that many serious nres have been started
IN that way, aud that nuIaDer Of hves have
Deen lost But while J must confess to ne
same bad practice, have always been very
careful not 10 go to sleep without putting out
the light. ana never had any trouble until
last year, when 1 came mighty near losing my
life II this very house"
The man was on the piazza Of cottage on
Ihe New Jersey coast, and the rays OF the
bright morning sun. glancing up from the
mlrrorl.ke sea, made the crystal eye blaze
with an unearthly light.
How was that: asked his friend, short
rat man, whose eyes seemed anxious TO ny
away and be al rest"
''Don be in such a hurry. - remarked the
man Who had spoken first, his automatic eye
liked on the "Dillowy deep" while the bust
ness eye glanced laZlly in the other man S d.
rectIon. Now, III tell you what I'll do he
continued times are mighty hard and can I
go you much, but II let you ten Zones that
YOU can't guess how nearly lost my life that
time"
I'll take you up" said the man with the
prominent eyes. Perhaps you drank glass
Of water; wouldn't that be fatal:''
Only look OF :athing contempt greeted
this brilliant sally, and the fat man, some
what abashed. went on:
Well, the natural supposition is that you
did you-er-dream you were at dinner, and
IN trying to eat one Of the pillows, choked
YOURSELF No? Well-er-er-did you have a
nightmare and think you were one of the
Primes in The Tower and try to crawl be-
tween the ma.tresses:"
oh, get out" responded his friend, eaus-
ing the automatic eye to revolve with great
rapiuity. Il tell you was nearly burned to
death"
oh you blew out the lamp, did you' And
there was no fire, of course, in the room, as
you were down here: and vet you were nearly
burned to death. Spontaneous com oustlon?
No: Well, l might have known it-you don t
think as heavily as that. Huml 1t looks as
II you had those ten plunks, sure" with a
LOOK OF deep detection, and then with a good
deal Of interest: How did you manage to do
it, ANYHOW
We'll, thought you'd have to give it up,
and you copldn t guess it, anyhow; I'm sure
OF that. 1t happened in this way, and If any
one mad told me that there was the slightest
chance Of it, should have called him crazy.
Il had been reading. and when 1 got sleepy
blew out the lamp, which was on the table
at my side, as usual. l do not know just how
long slept, but it must have been several
hours when l woke myself up by coughing
and choking. The room was filled with
stlfllng smoke; the table ana pillow I was
sleeping on were turning, and the mattress
and bedclothes were smouldering. OF course,
jumped up without any unnecessary delay
and doused the burning bed and table with
two pitchers Of water 1 had in the room, and
then got my steamer rug and smothered
what remained of the flames. I took up the
pillow and banged it on the bed. and the re
II was that l covered everything in the
room with feathers. 1t was the awfullest
looking room you ever saw, when 1 got
through with it. 1 had a big black
dog with me and he had gotten wet
when 1 was throwing the water
around. and then the feathers
covered HIM until he looked like some four
footed bird. Ihe funniest thing about it was
that no one else in the house knew anything
aLout 1t until the next morning, when Mrs.
Rowe came up and when she opened the door
she was fairly paralyZed with establishment,
and couldn imagine whether had been kill
or whether had gone clean crazy" and he
smiled at the recollection Of the picture she
had made. He seemed to think that was all
there was to tell, and relic hted his cigar,
which had gone out, with the manner Of one
who had ear led some money by hard work
and WIS pre- plred to en- oy it,
AS he did not offer to say more, his friend
soon burst out, his eyes almost ready to pop
out Of his head:
And do you think you have got the bet:
hre and what you did, and all that. but you
haven't said word about what caused it.
That was what you bet on"
That's so; l came near forgetting that >
said the other. why, the table was covered
with towel. There was a pitcher of ice
water on the table, and lying right oy it was
| a full box Of parlor matches. Ny explanation
| OF the fire is, that the moisture from the
| pitcher ran down on the towel, soaked the
| bottom Of the box of matches; some of the
| matches swelled, and by their friction ignited
| the other matches, and then the whole box
| blazed up. Did you ever hear of such thing
| befOre:'
Never" replied his friend sadly. and his
| brow YVES furrOwed with the thought OF his
| lost $40, as he gazed at the sounding sea-"