Red River prospector. (Red River, Taos County, N.M.) 1900-190?, 1906-08-02
THE SPARROWS'
HOUSE
By JOSEPH
(coPyrIght. by Joseph B. BowIes.l

borhood. But Alice, my wife, thought
differently, and as she was bent upon
making a change, | consented on con-
dition that she should do her own
house-hunting.
"Oh, james," she cried, as she met
me one evening with a hve-year lease
in her hand. I've found such a charm
ing little home, and in such a delight
full location: it's so cultured and re-
fined, you know. l am so glad on
Henry Jr.s account, for you know that
Henry Jr. is getting on"
The youth referred to had not turned
IA months.
Il leased the house from a Miss
Sparrow-such a superior womani"
continued my wife; 80 much nicer,
don't you think, than renting from
those horrid agents who will never do
a thing for one without making a fuss
about it. Miss Sparrow says she
couldn't think of giving us so charm
ing a little home, but her sister Amy
is to lie married next month, poor girl!
and she, Miss Sparrow, of course,
doesn't care to live alone"
l offered nc objections, but suggested
that she should write to her Uncle
Henry, for whom Henry Jr. was
named, and request him to postpone
his visit until we were thoroughly set
tied in our new home. She indignant
ly refused, saying that her uncle had
grown very irritable and suspicious of
late. and he might think we didn't
want him, and that she wasn't going
to have Henry Jr.'s prospects ruined
by any such insane notions. My wife's
uncle, an asthmatic, wealthy old bach
elor, was strongly prejudiced against
me, because his niece had married me
when he had hoped she would nurse
him in bis declining years.
The Light of the first of the follow
ing moLth found us in our new home,
and excepting that a shower of prisms
fell from the parlor chandelier when l
lighted the gas, the evening had, so
far, passed OF without incident.
My wife's uncle arrived in the worst
OF humors; his train, being three hours
late, didn't pull in until almost mid
night. He drew back from me suspi-
~ciously when l offered to take his
valise. and glared at me savagely over
his glasses, thoroughly convinced, no
doubt, that to a conspiracy on my part
was due the accident to his train.
My wife, not a little hurt when her
effusive greeting met with a rebuff.
said she was sorry little Henry had
gone to bed, for she would so like to
have her uncle Henry see his little
namesake. Whereupon he somewhat
grufiy inquired whether Henry Jr. had
any intention of %absconding before
morning.
Crestfallen, and worn out after a
hard days work we went to bed, but l
had hardly closed my eyes when | felt
myself suddenly aroused.
James" whispered my wife, in
trembling tones, what is that noise?'
Only water running next door" l
replied drowsily, and turned over to
sleep again.
Water mex door! Why, James, it's
in this very room. Listen!"
l got up and plainly heard the
sound, but couldn't locate it.
Hoping to find the source of the
noise, I ran a lighted wax taper along
the side of the wall; when l reached a
point about three feet from the win
dow / found it as a volume of flame
belched forth almost to the opposite
side of the room. l seized a pillow,
and called to my wife for a cork.
Take 1t away for the love of
i~heaven!" l yelled, as she handed me
a cork, holding in her other hand a
bottle. IT'S gasoline!"
She gave a piercing Shrek, and
threw the bottle and cork out into the
hall. After knocking over several
things in the medicine chest she gave
me a rubber stopper. l drove it
into the aperture OF a gas pipe
from which the bracket had been
purloined by the Sparrows, and which
they had plugged with wax. The pill
low, in the meantime had caught fire.
and while l was trying to smother It
my wife screamed again, n this
awoke Henry Jr., who Joined in the
melee; this brought down my wife's
uncle, whom we didn't see until /
lighted the gas. although he had an
nounced himself by a sneeze.
Finally l got things quieted.
didn't notice until the next morning
how badly had been burned. 1t was
after dawn when l was awakened.
james! get up, quick!" called my
wife. THE room is filled with smoke
the house is on firel"
Almost s%uf1ocated, I jumped out OF
bed, threw open windows, aud CROPPED
my way to the kitchen stairs.
"Phyllis!" / yelled at the top OF
my voice; lis there a fire down there?'
mo, sab" yelled back the cook;
"dar amt no fab; wish dar war,
but it's all smoke. Drat de ole stobe!
II won't draw. An Mars Jeems, dar's
a man heah VILE go, IN he done turn
de watah on in de alley, kase he say
De watah rint amt paid, an how Is
ter git breakfus wifout no hah an nc
watoh, de good Lord. He only know
we hurriedly dressed, while Henry