The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
a WOMAN AT 4 FIRE.
She Did Exactly n. She Had Planned to Do;
hut san Isn't a Heroine.

we had o fire AT our hptel in the county,
said the little woman. "and oi course IL happened
on the night that Harry WAS of ON a hunting
trip. Now, ! am very nervous about fre and
when go into a hotel room the first thing do
Is 10 examine tho IRE escape aud estimate the
distance from the ground. Then. l am always
expecting q fire and 30 my garments are iu-
Variably placed where can get them In the short
est space OF time
And Ihs time you really had a fire. said her
friend. "D.d you keep your SENSES, did You
do all the foolish things you had previously TO-
solved not 10 do"
I KEEP, all my SENSES" replied the little woman.
proudly. when the night clerk knocked
at my door and told me that the house was on
IRE but had plenty of time TO collect my valu-
abes and get out wasted no lime in hys,er-
ics as did the woman next door 10 me- but dressed
myself. with my usual care collected my ,nlu.
ahles and Put them IN a salch" all the while
with the feeling that l was doing something
l had done somewhere before"
That Was the result Of having planned Il al
beforehand, carefully said her friend. al.
nirngly
i suppose 80 Nj any rate. did IL while
could hea' that woman In the next room laush ing
and crying III btath. and the man across tie hall
calling that he never ~ 0,o in life but
he could not hnd = thing hut his wifr's hath .0he
"a put on By the time that Nns dressed aud had
iIy things cole ird the smoke was choking and
wet towel and W'appol IL about my mouth and
rps~ 7 he Village fro b ighdc had arrived. and
! could hca them shouting like madmen un the
lawn below The Woman IN the nrNt room WAS
being taken fuIcihly away ~ | opcn~i my win.
dow, which led H. III. fire escape and lo,kei dow n.
hoping that somebody wuUii come for me My
room Was On The fourth tnu'. and lIat Il e-escape
seemed endless ~ looked down
And dill nobody como 10 help you asked hcr
friend.
40 one ! saw not a soul though still heard
the shouting Of the fire brigade Well | did not
mean 10 Perish in that way. n MY head ~ weak
when It comes u looking down from a height
Registering a Vow that the nest time HAIRY vrnt
hurluE | would e. too. ! wrapped my ski IL
sights a. saS at the windows on my way down,
Dnc woman had 70 gotten the cate part Of the
Titan hEir which had made her the envy " every
u'hc' woman IN the hotel all sumn,e and was
standing in her 'nom ewing for somebody IN come
and lake down lie. Trunks y man Was sta ting
out Of his door with "A water pitcher In his hand
tn put out the ne and q young ma ri~t woman
Was CRYING out that she couldn't reTnemlIe whr-e
she had hidden hr' diamonds that night I he
ii 50 gimme ings VI dawn wee in the sky a.
finally dropped. faint and exhausted on the lawn.
but with nv valuable, all ssic and only my bruised
hands TO show 10 my adventure. Just a. WAS
cong 'atulnting myself the bus drove into the
grounds, and J. saw HAIRY get out Of IL Then
my cou age left me arr began 10 cry.
And no wonder" said he lend, admit -nEly
bravery, Mr. Van SMITH"
"Oh you mean al the fire In the hotel last sum.
mer. do your was the cply, YES, very proud:
hut | suppose che told you that the h'c was con.
fined to the othr wing of the hotel. and shc might
justas well have opened her doc Hnd walked down.
stairs. the IIIal way Qurcr how people lose
their wits At the cry Of Il =, isnit