Connecticut western news., 1907-10-24

W
 me wonderful tlllng occurred TWO minutes later. A sort of explosion blew the furnace door open, and a great puff of acrid smoke went floating all through the house. At the same moment all the fire in the furnace went out, and Mrs. Bowser called from the head of the cellar stairs:
 "Mr. Bowser, what on earth is hap pening down thereT
 Nothing. It was just back draft from the furnace, probably by rats nest in the chimney. There is no call for you to get excited"
 Tt may be that I didn't get in the right powder" explained MT. Rasher as he peered into the fuShace. "No; think I didn't. If you will hand me $2 will go aud get the other thing"
 But, man, don't you know the prop CT ingredients?' asked Mir. BoSser. Haven't you got them written down?"
 No. I might lose the memoranda, you see. I want to be careful this time. Being a little excited, may have asked for the wrong powder"
 He took the money and was gone ten minutes and then came back with a five cent packet of Rochelle salts in his hand and let Mir. Bowser see the label on 1t to show that he trusted him. He didn't return the change from the bill. The fire was rekindled, the salts sprinkled on the heap, ml after ten minutes a shovelful of ts.c mixture was dumped In, with the ob- servation:
 Must Close All Drafts.
 We now have sufficient fuel in the furnace to last for week. As soon as things get redhot we must close all the drafts.''
 But things did not get redhot. There was q sputtering and stewing inside the furnace for two or three minutes, and then there seemed to be nothing further doing. MT. Bowser and MT. Rasher sat on their boxes in silence and expectation, and the gas meter ut tered 0 sort of wall and registered an- other 800 feet. Finally the inventor arose, tiptoed over to the furnace and opened the door.
 All inside was blackness and dark ness. There was no redhotness-not by a jugful
 ''The thing don't seem to pan out,~ said MT. Bowser in hard tones.
 No, but see the reason. should have burned certain powder to clear the fues of dust first. In my haste and anxiety forgot that. If you will give me S3 will run over to the drug store"
 "What's the name of the powder?"
 Excuse me, but will tell you later on. Once the dust Is out of the fiues all will be well. You might be shaking the stuff out while I am gonc."
 MT. Bowser gave up grudgingly. He was losing faith in MT. Rasher and dreading Mrs. Bowsers words and looks. The inventor departed, visited the drug store and saloon and re- turned after awhile with a lump of something in his hand.
 "I thought you went for powderw Gueried MT. Bowser.
 n Meant Lump.
 Il when I mean lump. We will be all right now"
 Isn't there some change coming to me?
 q believe so, but can't stop just now. In with your paper and kin dlings"
 When 0 fire had been lighted once more the powder was thrown in. an6 the men stood back. They needn't have done so That lump of something was only chalk and had noidea of ex- ploding. After two minutes some more of the patent fuel was shoveled in. and MT. Rasher smiled and said:
 "There won't be any more disap- pointments. Hear the furnace roar?'
 But there was no roar. There came sound like lean woman frying lean bacon over a corncob fire, and then there was flicker. and all was as still as the grave. MT. Bowser look ed into the furnace to find the same old blackness. AS he turned to ask Mir. Rasher what in ! he meant by ! the inventor made for the stairs. There was a yell, and Mir. Bowser made after him. The fleeing man ran through the kitchen hall and out of the area gate, but before he could leap the front gate MT. BowseG caught him. Fifteen minutes later as Mrs. Bowser was putting salve on a skinned nose and washing a bitten ear she quietly observed:
 Never mind, dear. You have got a ! shovelful of sand and lime left down cellar, and we will try and get along some way until you can invest in a new burglar alarm and make S1,000.- OOO." M. QUAD. ~1-f