The sun., 1909-06-05
THELADY'S SLEEP DISTURBED
By 4 BLAZE WHICH STARTED
N HER FRUIT LADEN LID.
she Had Determined To Sleep and Did,
Clothed and Hated. and Resented
Interruptions the Bed was on
Fire and a Policeman Carried Her Out

Clothed and Hated, and Resent ed
Interruptions the Bed was on
Fire and a Po,iccma an Carried Her Out
Mrs Leslie Lehman, who lives at the
Rossmore apartment house in West
Forty seventh street, is determined
woman. When she retired at an early
hour yesterday morning it was with the
determination to have Il good long sleep,
She was so determined that when she
woke up few minutes later and found
the bed on fire it didn't alter her determ-
nation in the least. And the only thing
that did was policeman who carried
her out Of the house in his rms.
II was about the usual bedtime Of Long
Acre Square. that is to say about Z A. NJ,
when Mrs. Lehman determined to have
that sleep. She had been spending the
evening out and when she got home was
40 weary that she decided to have
that nap before she took off any Of her
clothes. So che lay down on her bed and
lighted cigarette TO compose her nerves.
Among the articles Of dress that she wore
was one Of those hats that stop traffc.
IL was trimmed with a few quarts OF
cherries, half dozen peaches. three
APPLES, group OF grain. bunch Of
asparagus and one ripe. ruddy apple.
Soon the weary body succumbed to
the soothing influence OF the cigarette
and Mrs. Lehman slumbered, the hand
that held the cigarette falling across
her face and reclining in an attitude OF
unconscious grace amid the fruit shop
reposing on the straw. Some Of that fruit
betrayed the confidence that Mrs. Lehman
had reposed in it and ignited, From the
fruit the fire spread to the straw and
from the straw to the mattress. Mrs.
Lehman, being a determined woman.
slept on.
Miss Lillian Browne, who occupies an
apartment ad djoining that Of Mrs. Lehman.
about this time stirred in her sleep. Pres
emily she awoke. rernari;inR TO herself
that she smelled smoke. She stepped out
INTO the hall and went smiling. Aftet sne
had shifted from one end Of the hall to the
other she made sure that the smoke was
in Mrs. Lehmans room. She Knocked on
the door Getting no answer. she opened
il and saw that the bed on which Mrs
Lehman was lying was on fire. Miss
Browne informed Mrs Lehman that she
was on fire. Mrs Lehman betrayed no
interest in this information. In short
she slept right on. being determined TO
get that nap
Miss Browne resorted to more energetic
methods She seized hold OF the sleeper
and tried to drag her from the burning
mattress. This was losing game. since
the slumberer is plump, to say the least,
and Miss Brown is petite. The rescuer
therefore changed her tactics and tired
and Miss Browne soon had the sleeper
oF the mattress and on the HOOr.
Mrs Lehman was not grateful She
is as has been said. a determined woman.
She had determined to have nap. She
now found that her plans we're being
Browne and informed her Of the deter
mnstion that she had made. Miss Browne
informed her Of the fact that her hat was
on fire and that the mattress was also
smoudering and sending out clouds OF
smoke. Mrs. Lehman was not impressed
by Miss Brownies statement. She. re-
minded her again that she had deter
mined to have a nap and she cut short
snv further argument on the point by
returning to the bed and lying down
comfortably upon II.
Miss Browne was not CONVINCED that
Mrs. Lehmap's course was. all things
considered, the proper one under the
circumstances, She therefore ran down
stairs and into the street, where she found
Policeman Fitzgibbons OF the East Fifty
first street station. Him she told OF the
determination OF the determined Mrs.
Lehman. The policeman sent in an alarm
from the nearest box md then rushed into
the Rossmore. The mattress was smudg-
ing away in fine style when he got to
Mrs. Lehman's room. The determined
Mrs. Lehman. however, was carrying OUT
her determination.
Policeman Fitzgibbons seized the
sleeper and carried her out OF the room
and downstairs to the street. BY the time
she reached the street Mrs. Lehman had
been forced to the unwelcome conclusion
that she would be unable in all probability
to carry out her determination. There
seemed to be no way Of getting any sleep
in that house, There appeared to be
a conspiracy Of all things. animate and
inanimate to prevent her from sleeping.
What was the use? She might just as
we'll give it up. She determined, in fact.
to give it up. And being, as has been
said a determined woman, she did 40.
The arrival Of the fremen had by this
time aroused everybody who lives in the
many apartment houses in that nei ghbor-
hood and the windows Of the Flanders, the
Portland, the Somerset. the st, Margaret
and the King Edward were full of lightly
clad spectators. Mrs. Lehman was car
RED TO the St Francis. where doctor
was called to examine her injuries, The
hat and the fruit were total losses Also
the determined Mrs. Lehman's face was
blistAred, her hands and arms scorched
and she lost much hair. some OF it her own
In other ways the fire did about $25 dam