The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-03-13
IN CASE OF FIRE.


TON, I'm getting terribly frightened a.
vi these fires IN fiat building" said Mrs
Penhatchet the other evening when her
spouse had composed himself for comfort
on a couch and seemed willing to desosad
to her level for a half hour. Il don't know
what on earth should do II ihssp ahapld
be tire here some day when you we're not
ct home"
'Oi eourre you don't" SAID Mr. Pen
kaichs., With decision No woman ever
dues kaoN what she would do. but know
what you would do, all right. I could write
V ont tor you and pm Il up Oh she usll -
yoa cuald learn Il by hcIri. aud ttlll 500
woa'dnt back away from u when the time
rame You would 60 right ahead like every
othgr woman that was ever mixed ~ With
a tire IA fla, building
Oh, don Z know, said Mrs Penhaichet,
with some spirit. Il hope ! IN not fool "
IT. not a qucst ION Of being fool, said
Mr., Pcuhatchcl, shifting himself 10 a more
comfortable position. "it's question Of in
experience and lack Of thought, Now, sup
pose the parlor curtains were 90 catch FIRE
spmc niElt when sou were lighting the gas
wth that long handled lighter DO you
know what you would do You would drop
he lighter figh, IN the middle Of the floor,
aar:s t would set hrs 30 the rug, rush out
into the hall. leaving the door open behind
you to create a draft and give the fame .
good show Then you would scream for
help and u other women would rush out
OF their Hats and yell 'frc" and pick up
their babies and scuttle Tor the street, al
though the tire vas hall block from them
NJ, tha time, you understand. the fire 10
the paTlur would he having a bully time
with nobody 90 interfere with a. The CUR,
tains would set tire TO the chair when they
iell down, the blaze IN the TuR -uuii spread
all over The room, and by the time the fire
department got here there Neuld be moth.
ma lett Of tins happy home but bad smell
md several broken Window
That - one OF the worst WAYS in the
world 10 put out a iirr ~ q fiat. went on
Mr Prnhatclci The first thing 10 90
when the curtains catch ire u TO pull them
down and stamp the ire out. Ninety per
cent. OF the fires in residences could ne
put out a. the start II every body didn't run
away from them, There - nothing here
that Is going To explode, sou know. because
curtain gr a rug Is on ire Il takes quite
= little while for . whole fiat 10 ignite. and
with a little f1Tcth1ugAt and prompt action
81 the CRUCIAL momeu, our furniture might
he saved
'Bu, would ST all burned" protested
Mr. Penhatchct
Burned nothing" replied hss husband,
savagcly. Suppose you dA get few bis.
ters- what Of them They would heal up in
q day or two, while II our Dat Was burned
oct It would take years to replace H. The
trouble u that q woman always loses her
head when she IA placed in any sisuation
that she is not thoroughly used TO- sup.
pose 10 falling Of the sex, and not 10
be maryelsd a.. went on Nr. Penhatehrt,
with a mAEnanlmous air There 10 no ne.
cessJ,y Tor getting excited and sending in
hire alarms because come one has stepped
on a match Hall the time The fire depart
ment is not necessary aud the hremen do
more damage than the ire, smash!as doors
and Windows and squirting chemicals ali
over everything
I'D think OF saving myself before ia
think abou, a lot Of old furniture" sah
Mu Penhatchct. You don't seem 20 think
Of my position at ali
That's &C., returned Mr. Psnhatchet
"lhats the woman Of a. Didn't tell YOU
90! The FIRST thing you would think Of u
10 run, 20 get away out into the street and
LEI the ire irOhC through the parlor 10 ,ts
hearts content don't see V by woman
can't have more spirit than 10 do anything
like that"
hr Penhatchst's cirar had gone out in
the earncttness Of his hamily. and now he
rcllshiei % with hercc gesture aud filmed
the match away sayagely. II landed imme.
dAlcly under a light elk drapc the door.
way and directly upon = wolfskIn rug. In
an instant a thin sheet oi flame had run
across the rug, caught the drape IN its en-.
brace, climbed up the eide OF the bookcase
and begun operations on q picture frame.
Mr.. PsHhAtchet was staring az the ceiling
after he last period and d.d not notice
the me. HIS wife, smartinE under the re.
Elections on her sex, had pretended 10 read
newspaper She saw The fire first aasprd.
RurgIcd, olutched At her throat and points,
al the flaming doorway. Mr. penbatchst
rolled III the couch. scrambled 10 kia feet
and rushed toward the kitchen. lhnutinR
FIRE at every jump H,s distracted wife
heard h'm slashlug among the pans. then
came the splAshlnE OF wnter frog the
faucet. She knew the nome brigade wss a.
work, but before he had the dishpau filled
she had turned the rug upsIds down. e.
iectunly qurnchIng that blaze. pulled down
what was LETT Of the draIs and tossed a
soia pillow On the flame Then with one
JERK she brought down the blazing picture
frame, which she piled on tie ruins and ex.
tinHishrd by stamping on H.
Jss: ;hsn Mr. rcnhaicha,, no had never
eclsed tn yell Pre-" came dashing hack
with dshpsn full Of water ovcrturniug
the hight table which held the water glasses
and pitcher as be came With mighty
swing he hurled the pan Of water all over
the bookcase, running ;be books Then he
stopped and Rlarcd around foi ;nr iirr II
was out and hs wife was sitting ~ the
rocking char watching the last FAINT trails
81 smoke ascending from the cmiJcrs Of the
picture frame. She turned rather coldly to
her liegc lord
Maybe you'd better clean M that mus
YOU have made" she said, IN You had
looked where you were throwing that match
It wouldn't have happened Besides. there
y no need Of your losing your head aud run.
nlng I'D At thu sight OF little FIRE There
Is nothing to explode, you know. But /
suppose ~ a failing Of the SCI.
Then Mrt P~nhstchct went hufiily TO bed.
leaving her surprised husband TO remove the
TulnR L hlgago llltly Nppgs