The times., 1897-08-15
The MiIliken Freeze-out.

| Tn order to avoid a chill this story
should be read on the hottest part OF the
piazza or in the car which goes TO the
| SUBURBS at p. III. Put this paper in your
! hat to prevent sunstroke)
The MilliEens wished to spend Christmas
| with their relatives in Philadelphia. These
relatives We're Mr.. MiTiken's brother, Mrs.
| Milliken's brother-in-Iaw, Mr. MjIIikens
sister-in-law and Mrs. MiIIiken's sister,
| MilliSen's aunt and uncle and Two cousins Of
! AElii&en's aunt and uncle andtwo cousins OF
| the little MilIkens and nephew and neIce
! OF Mr. and Mrs. Miliken. There we4e only
four relatives of them in all. but the young
I Millikens always used to count them up
] in this way; it made them seem so much
more numerous:
| Having decided to spend Christmas with
their eour relatives, they packed their
| trunks, told the servants they could have
| weeks holiday, and sentOff all their Christi
| mas presents three days ahead Of time
I Mr.. MilliEen said he hoped nothing would
i go wrong with the store while he was
away. Mrs. Miilikea said she hoped moth
| ing would happen 20 their train The
] young MiiIikens feared nothing except that
| there might be a thaw in Philadelphia so
| that they could not go skating. None OF
| them thought of the house, standing there
so placid dnd sedate, as they walked out
| of the dOoryard. 1t did not look as IL it
| could possibly get into mischief, and two
| of the neIghhors had promised To keep an
| eye on it. The kitchen fire was out and
! the windows all shut and locked Mrs Mil
liken was very particular about that, and
| so was Mr.. Ailiken- He did nos like TO
| be walked up in the middle Of the night
and sent pattcrilg over the house in desha-
| bile to see If the back door was all right
and If the dining-room window the one
/ luoking out on the porch, was locked, and
the blinds shut
The day after the family reached PhIla-
| delphia there came on a most tremend
| freeze 1t froze every pond and river and
niudpGddle in the State OF Pennsylvania
| harder than stone, and the young 3iiIlikens
were in such state of rapture that twas
wonder they didn't have 10 have new
uls,ers and fIannels and winter clothes gen.
orally. The Philadeiphians tucked their
coat collars up over their ears, and wore fur
hats, and were particular TO shut their doors
and keep the furnace fire going They
Washington
taken by surprise
The Millkens decided to run up to New
York before going home, and while ,hey
were there the mother found an old friend
settled cozily down in Brooklyn flat, and
accepted aninvitatioa TO stay week longer
When the Miliikens, father and children,
reached Philadelphia on their return they
found telegram aiting for them 1t was
from Mr. HOds0n, the next-dOor neighbor
II said: Come home; water has been seen
flowing out front door"
Ion, my goodnessl'' said Mr. MilHken.
What can have happened?- Mr.. MiII-
ken's principles were against swearing.
"oh, dear" said Carrie MiIIiken. "Idon't
see what the house wanted to 60 and do
that way for
Gee whizi'' said Johnny MiIUken.
Wasn't the skatin' gTeat?"
1t was good thing that the car stove
was On duty as they hurried back to Wash
lneton, for another great freeze had set
In, and by the time they got there the
little urchins in the streets Were hurnuine,
along on one ska te apiece over the frozen
cutters in the streets, and all sorts OF
antlquated things for keeping warm had
been dragged out or hiding places. They
~
son, who locked grave and pointed To the
front doorstep. 1t was covered with ice
and leicles had formed on the window
sills Of the parlor.
1T kept running out and runnin out +"
he said, and we teIegraphed You four da Va
ago.
The telegram must have waited for ia
a day or two said Mr. Milli,.en. s.Chu-
dTen. have You any idea what did with
that key?''
The key to the house door, said Car
RE. Why. mamma had it on her key-ring
when 1 saw her last''
''oh, myl" said Nj Mflken.
There was nothing to do but to 90 To
the neighboTs aud telegraph for the key.
IL came by special delivery next dav. and
Mr.. Milli&en grabbed it with both hands
and fastened to his house II tuned all
right in the door, but the door wouldn't
open.
Frozen, perhaps" said Mr. HoCISon, who
was an interes ted spectator
They went and got a teakettle full Of
hoiling water, and poured the water around
he edges 1t melted the ice off the
doorstep, but the door stayed where it was.
Ihen they tried window ana melted the
frost on that, and broke a pane OF glass
doing 1t. Mr. Miliiken stood on a chair
and looked into his parlor This is what
he saw: sea of solid masses or ice COW
cred the floor to a depth of two or three
feet. IL encased the legs of the chairs and
tables, and rose above the siIIs of the
French windows The portieres were
open into the hall, where the same state
Of things appeared TO prevail: and since
this was so, it was quite plain wbv TIN,
front door would not open
Great Scottl" said Mr.. MiIliken. mon
ping his forehead. has there been a flood?"
No. said Mr.. Hodson, your water pipes
have burst"
Great Scottl" said Mr.. MiIiken
And then,' pursued MI Hu.lson, who
was man of slow and methodicaI com
prehenston, 'all the doors and windows
being tight closed, the water has COW
cred the lower floor to considerable
depth, and thus cOngealedr
Congealeds' exclaimed Mr.. MiIiiken.
tongealed. Here 1 leave my house in
your charge and go away for a week and
Come home to find the whole blamed par
ior stuck in a sea OF ice, like Nansen, or
something; and you tell me it has con-
gealedi Congealed, I'll CONCEAL youi
-
But Ar Hodson had fled, and Carrie and
Johnny held fast to their fathers cont
tails TO prevent his following.
IL TOOK week To chop the ice out of the
MilliSen house and melt the fcicIes and
dry the floors and walls. Every water
.ls8 N tha hon l. Il