The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-08-14

Ro"Uei WAS sHrlnkleu over the heap.
1t was Ga,nptued with water.
Three or four Old ioxes were knocked
to pieces and Il fire started in the fur
n"ce. ANA when there was a good
blaze going the inventor said:
I'VE will now shovel the mixture in
n you will see something wonder
fu,.'
The wonderful thing 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:
MIR Bowser. what on earth is ham,
pening down there:'
Nothing. 1t was just a back draft
from the furnace, probably by a rats
nest In the chimney. There is no call
for you to get excited"
1T may be that l didn't get in the
right POWDER" explained Mr.. Rasher
as he peered into the furnace. mo: I
think l didn't. If you will hand me
81 will go and get the other thing"
But. man don't you know the prop
er ingredients!' asked Mr.. Bowser.
Haven't YOU got them written down."
mo. l might lose the memoranda,
you see. l want to be careful this
time. Being a little excited, I may
have asked for the wrong POWDER"
He took the money and was gone ten
minutes and then came back with a
I'VE cent packet Of Rochelle salts in
bis hand and let Mr.. Bowser see the
label on it 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, and
after ten minutes a shovelful of the
mixture was dumped in, with the OBJ
servation:
Must Close All Drafts.
Eve nov have sufficient fuel in the
furnace to last for a week. As O
as things get redhot we must close all
the drafts"
But things did not get redhot. There
was a suffering and a stewing inside
the furnace for two or three minutes.
and then there seemed to be nothing
further doing. Mr.. Bowser and Mr..
Rasler sat on their boxes in silence
and expectation. and the gas meter ut
tered Il sort Of wall and registered an
other 0 feet. Finally the inventor
arose. tiptoed over to the furnace and
opened the door.
All inside was blackness and dark
ness. There was no reimbursement
by a jugful.
"The thing don't seem to pan out"
said Mr.. Rowser in hard tones.
mo. but see the reason. l should
have burned a certain powder to clear
the tiues of dust first. In my haste
n anxiety l forgot that. If you will
give me So l will run over to the drug
store
"What's the name of the powder:'
Excuse me. but l will tell you later
on. Once the dust is out of the fues
all will he well. You might be shaking
the stuff out while l am gone"
Mr.. Rowser gave up gr%udgingly. He
was losing faith In Mr.. Rasher and
dreading Mrs. Bowser's words and
looks. The inventor departed, visited
the drug store and a saloon and re-
turned after awhile with a lump Of
in his hand.
II thought YOU went for POWDER"
rneried Mr.. Rowser.
Meant = Lump.
"Did l say powder: l often say that
when I mean lump. We will be all
right now"
Isn't there some change coming to
II believe SO, but l can't stop just
In with your paper and kim
dlings.''
When a fire had been lighted once
more the powder was thrown In, and
the men stood back. They needn't
done so. That lump Of something
was only chalk and had no idea of ex-
plOding. After two minutes some more
Of the patent fuel was shoveled in.
and Mr.. Rasher smiled and said:
"There won't he any more disap-
Hear the furnace roar?"
But there was no roar. There came
sound like Il lean woman frying
lean bacon over a corncob fire. and
then there was a flicker. and all was
as still as the grave Mr.. Bowser look
ed into the furnace to find the same
blackness. AS he turned to ask Mr..
what In ! ! he meant
by I. ! ! the inventor made for
the stairs. There was a yell. and Mr..
Bowser made after him. The fleeing
man ran through the kitchen hall and
out Of the ares gate. but before he
could leap the front gate Mr.. Bowser
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 $1,000
0OO." QUAD.
Can't Always Tell.