The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-09-16

ut would ID pretty hard to. build q
hall on that Locust street house," said
Mr.. LoOmis.. 8 S7: sts r.
= ;"'But by building an addition on the
west side OF the Elm street house."
replied Mrs. Loomis, I'VE could have 4
nice bathroom. without much cost, and
build it when we can best afford to-"
Mr.. LOOMS complimented his wife
on this happy solution of the difficulty.
and before night had secured deed of
the Elm street property. Then he
figured little and said:>
Il don't think we can afford to build
the addition this year, and dislike to
perform my additions in a wash-tub
or --'
"Oh, have thought that all OUT"
replied Mrs. LOOMS, smiling, land l
have such nice idea. We will buy
handsome tub-just such as we will
want for our new bathroom-and set
it up back Of the kitchen range. There
needn't be any plumbing, except the
exhaust pipe, for it will be so close to
the range that one can dip the hot
top of the rain-water pump in the sink
around, cold water can be pumped d.
rectly into the tub. We can have a
nice broad shelf on hinges to let down
over the tub, and that will make a
splendid kitchen table, and nobody
need ever know that there is tub
there"
While this ingenious arrangement
would have been very announcement
for some families it was perfectly suit
able for the Ioomis menage, free from
even a kitchenmaid Down behind the
range proved an exceedingly cosy,
warm spot in which to take leisurely
bath. The new tub was a beauty, and
when the broad shelf. practically
amounting to a folding table, was
| dropped down over it, supported by
two swinging legs at the right height
for work bench, Mrs. Loomis said it
was the most convenient for washing
dishes on that she had ever seen. and
! it was not at all uncommon for Mr..
Loomis to assist her in that employ
ment that their Sunday forenoons and
all their, evenings might be longer.
Mr.. Loomis was member of the vii
| lage board of trustees, which held its
sessions on Saturday evenings, and it
was his custom, on returning from
these meetings, to enjoy a thorough,
| leisurely bath before retiring. Then
he had the kitchen all to himself and
| could take his time
One particular Saturday night the
village council had held such a pro-
tracted sitting that it was actually
| Sunday morning when Mr.. Loomis
| stole into the kitchen, swung up the
portable table, and as silently and
rapidly as possible filed the tub. A
flood Of moonlight came in through the
! windows, and he did not trouble to
light the gas, but was soon soaking
placidly in the warm and comfortable
bath.
A heated discussion over the pur-
chase Of road roller had wearied Mr..
LOOMS considerably, and while re-
viewing the arguments as he lay in
the tub, he fell asleep. This he him
self denies, asserting that he heard
the first touch of the burglars hands
on the window fastening. This latter
statement there is no means of con-
troverting, but it is positively known
that Mr.. Loomis did not enter the
kitchen later than a quarter past IL
o'clock, that the intrader's presence
was not observed mich before two,
! and that it had never before taken
Mr.. Loomis an hour and three-quarters
to bathe
However, when he did hear the fun
bling at the fastening, his first i'm
pulse was to leap from the tub and
repulse the invader. His second
thought was merely to f1ee What he
did, in the excitement of the moment,
was to reach upward, grasp the swing
ing shelf and pull it down just as he
heard the Kitchen window gently
raised
| Either the water had cooled a great
many degrees since he entered it, or else
Mr.. Loomis was very much frightened
3
or the two reasons combined to cause
such shiver that it was with diff
Guilty that he prevented an alarming
smashing in the bath. Peering eau
tiously over the rim of the tub, he
shivered more violently than before.
A man was crawling through the win
dow. The moon had now nearly gone
down, but the solid black silhouette in
Dictated rogue of monstrous size.
The suspense was horrible.
Before the intruder dropped quietly
to the floor he shot a tiny searching
ray of light into every corner, and the
head of Mr.. Loomis slid out Of sight
as startled turtle slips off log. In
an agony Of apprehension the house.
holder heard the burglar tiptoe across
to the pantry and back. Waiting as
long as he could restrain his curiosity
and alarm, he again peered cautiously
between the table-shelf and the tub
| rim