Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-05-14
Margery DanVerS:: Fireman,
By CARROLL WATSON RANKIN.


the world, and having found himself
unable to live in two places at once
had wisely concluded to convert the
superfluous house into cash. Mr.. Dan
vers had bought it for ridiculousl!
small sum, and felt that he ought to 5t
congratulated.
But although good Mr.. Danvers was
jubilant over the purchase. Mrs. Dan
vers, on her first inspection of the
new house, sat down upon the thrown
in carpet and burst into tears.
The moment she beheld the parlol
wall paper she forgot all else and gave
herself up to grief.
1t was really enough to make one
oblivious of other things. Mrs. Dan
woman, who loved pink-and-white
rooms. The late occupant of the house
had been big red.and-yellows man
who liked redand-yellow rooms, and
his taste in wall paper was certainly
deplorable. There was only one thing
in the house worse than the paper, ant
that was the carpet.
What, don't you like the paper!
exclaimed astonishei, Mr.. Danvers
who was not artistic. why, that's
splendid paper! 1t must have cost s.
roll. Patterns a trife large, per
haps; but just think how it'll wear!
1t will last a lifetime!"
But, strange to say, this consoline
information only made Mrs. Danvers
weep the more.
There's great stuff in that carpet
too" said Mr.. Danvers, cycling it ap
provingly. "It1l wear like iron, in spite
of the children running over it. Those
big magenta. roses stand out WELL
don't they?"
Mrs. Danvers sshuddered. Thesc car
pet was calamity. Tx
Reasonable as the price had been
it had taken all Mr.. Danvers could
spare to make the purchase, so there
was no money to be foolishly wasted
in replacing the perfectly good paper
and carpet. Poor Mrs. Danvers, cover
ing as much of the uglincss as she
could with her pictures and furniture
wisely made the best of it, but all her
day dreams for the next ten years cell
tered about the repapering of the dis
figured parlor.
Her daughter Margery understood
and sympathized with her mother, and
together they would deplore the lura
bility of the obnoxious paper and car.
pet.
"It would be such pretty room, u
Mrs. Danvers would mourn, "if only
something would happen to that out
rageous carpet and that horrible pa
perl"
wouldn't it be glorious" Margery
would say, "if our chimney should gel
struck by lightning as the Browns
did? The paper was torn4off the din
ing room wall, and SCOT from the chin
ney ruined the rugs. The Browns seem
TO have all the good luck -. ~ ~
The Browns selfishly retained their
monopoly of the lightning, and the
hated paper continued to bear 8
charmed life. No warning voice wa!
ever raised when the little DanRerse:
approached the parlor wausMith stick!
fingers; and althedghSMrs. Danver;
and MargepF fairly courtcd disaster
noneaeger came.
At last, when Margery was II, botf
paper and carpet showed unmistakable
signs of wear.
do anything you like about it. IT,
your house." said Mr.. Danvers, gener
ously, when Mrs. Danvers pointed ou
the defects. "Yes, get anything yol
like; all paper looks aliketo me. Hard
wood floors? Ye-es, I don't mind. Still
am a little disappointed in that
carpet. / thought it would last for
ever"
$50 did l." said Mrs. Danvers; bu
If she felt any disappointment it was
well concealed
7; Then came delightful weeks. Tho
house was all torn up and turned over
to the carpenters and paper-hangers
Mrs. Danvers and Margery spent al
their days and part of their night:
studying samples of wall paper. Mr.
Danvers spent all his in trying tt
dodge the pals of paste and varnist
that lurked3in every corner.
At last, however, it was all finishe
to the complete satisfaction of Mrs
Danvers and Margery, WHO ceased tc
covet the Browns share of devastating
lightning. Indeed, the renovated par
lor became the object of Mrs. Danvers
tenderest sollclluie, and the little Ian
verses began to see imaginary "KeeI
off the grass" signs on every side. AM
then, when it was. no longer wanted
the disaster came
Just a week after the departure ci
/ the last workman Mrs. DanYerS went
with: her husband to concert. leav
ing the house and sleeping children in
MargeryS care.
Margcry spent the first hour in the
kitchen, making peanut tsffy. Wher
at last she returned to the front oil
the house she was greeted by an odl
pungent order.
Il wonder said she eff L could
have scorched my candy? No; the
smell seems to come from the front
hall. Perhaps something is burning
upstairs"
Sne stopped appalled, when she hal
reached the top step. Something Ger
tainly was burning. The upper hall
was full of thick, gray smoke.
Ahe children!" gasped Margery
,iar':-s through the smoke and into
the nursery.
Here the smoke was dense, and
through it, at the far end OF the room
WQerp closet ,lOOr WAS standing pnen