The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-16


Haven't mentioned II 10 your
s0f course not when did you IN
/ II outf"
"sionths and months ngo, II I hav,
not said anything II Ia because I didn'
want to worry you, suppose yol
should dig your elbow Into me at mid
night and wake me up 70 announces
that there was a burglar IN tho house,
Yes"
y should. Of course, spring ont oi
bed and grapple with him, should
choke him into lnscnslblllty and thet
hand him over TO tho police lie
would bc tried and sentenced, but
when all was over should doubtless
collapse and 40 dead. You sec, In put
ting In this alarm am preventing thai
lamentahlc casualty"
| II was confidently expected that Mrs
Rowscr would mako objections and ~
fer 10 the iire escapes Mr., Bowsor had
at times Invested In. but she had moth
Ing Of the sort 10 say, Ho purposely
/ gave her several opportunities and was
surprised when she refused 10 take nd.
vantage Of them, He finally decided
that shc realized he had struck q great
thing at last and no went 10 bed half
IN hour ahead OF the usual time 10 en-.
Joy tho safe aud comfortable feeling OF
security, llc had slept for two hours
when he got that dig OF the elbow. and
Mrs. Bowser said TO him as he sat up
In bed
"Now. don't get excited and vet your
heart to futicrIng The old gong II
ringing. as you hear, and that's sign
that the burglar hasn't got IN, you
might 20 down and yell at him from
the front door and then turn the thug
on"
The Alarm Worked.
"nldn't say so~-diln't say so1"
whispered Mr. nowser aS he pulled on
his trousers. "ws get the alarm IN al
o'clock and burglar arrives before
midnight and is scared away by II,
lingo. but how the old thing is hump.
Ing herselfr'
"Dou't run amy risks"
There viii be none. Tho would be
burglar In half u mile away by this
time and running like II whitehead"
He went down and opened the front
door.
No burglar In sight.
He took look from the back win
dows,
Nothing in sight but the Bowser cat
trying 10 walk the clothcslinc
The opening Of the door had increas.
ed the ringing Of the gong by one.half.
The shutting OF II did no good. Mr..
Bowser knew just where to turn the
ring off, but IN the darkness he fell
over a chair, and In getting up he
knocked vase over. This confused
him, and he was cropping around when
Mrs. Bowser called down:
"Why. in niercy's name. don't you
turn that thing of? People are begin'
ming to stop at fhe gate"
"Let 'em stop. I'm not going to break
my neck In the dark"
Not being able to find n match IN the
darkness. he made his way to the door
again and opened H. Then that old
gong did business. II had only been
loafing around before. II rang and
buzzed and ratified and groaned aud
grunted. II brought pedestrians down
from one street and up from another.
II woke the sleeping inmates Of ten
houses. and II brought heads to win.
dows and swear words from mild man.
nercd men. II brought crowd up on
the steps ard n dozen demands TO know
what was wrong,
ITS my burned old burglar alarm!"
explained Mr. Bowser.
The crowd wouldn't believe 1t. There
were half dozen who declared that
he was torturing somebody, and
small boy had been promised a cent 10
go for policeman when one arrived
and pushed his way into the hall. HIS
first act was TO light the gas. Ills see.
ond was to seize the gong and tear 1t
out by the roots and throw 1t outdoors
Then he turned to Mr.. Bowser and
said:
I'm be around after you early In the
morning, old man. and II the Judge
don't give you six months for this
monkey business I'll eat my hatr
The crowd was driven away and the
door locked, and Mr.. Bowser climbed
the stairs,
"How many people escaped from be.
Ing murdered In their beds last year?"
asked Mrs. Bowser,
Nothing from you, madam be re-
piled. II understand your little game.
We will telephone our respective law.
yers In the morning, and III fight the
alimony question clear to the supreme
court at Washington" NJ. QUAD.
IL L.. -.