The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-09-09

"But by building an addition on the
west side of the Elm street house"
replied Mrs. Loomis, 1--WE could have
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:
II don't think we can afford to build
the addition this year, and dislike to
perform my additions in wash-tub
or -"
"Oh, I have thought that all out,
replied Mrs. Loomis, smiling, "and
have such a nice idea. We will buy
a 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
water from that, and by turning the
top of the rain-water pump in the sink
around, cold water can be pumped di-
rectly into the tub. We can have
nice broad shelf on hinges to let down
over the tub, and that will make
splendid kitchen table, and nobody
need ever know that there is a tub
there"
While this ingenious arrangement
would have been very announcement
for some families. it was perfectly suit
able for the Loomis 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 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 1t
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 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 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 filled 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 a road roller had wearied Mr..
Loomis 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
| SJdtSu1CuJ Iuclc liz IlCoho VI SOo
troverting, but it is positively known
that Mr.. Loomis did not enter the
kitchen later than a quarter past II
o'clock, that the intruder's presence
was not observed much before two,
and that it had never before taken
Mr.. Loomis an hour and three-quarters
to battle
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 flee. 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 great
many degrees since he entered it, or else
Mr. Loomis was very much frightened
Che leaned toward the former theory
or the two reasons combined to cause
such a SILVER 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 tiny searching
) ray of light into every corner, and the
head of Mr.. Loomis slid out of sigh
: as startled turtle slips off log. II
: an agony of apprehension the house
holder heard the burglar tiptoe across
to the pantry and back. Waiting a!
long as he could restrain his curiosit!
and alarm, he again peered cautiousl!
!, between the table-shelf and the tub
/ rim.
The burglar was sitting in the mid
die of the room, with his back TOWARD
Mr.. Loomis. By the faint light of thu
tiny lantern he could not see what thu
; man was doing, and wriggled littl
higher up. AS he moved his feet Their
! was slight disturbance in the water
and Mr. Loomis realized only too wei
what it meant. Pending the perma
nent location of the bath-tub, he had