Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-24
WILD NIGHT BREEZE
| AND A FIRE ESCAPE
Chilling Experience OF Two
Girls in the Early Sep
tember Morn.

september MOTHS SinRlA. SnlNeIlils III
the knee deep waters OF dinky little
lakes. have become common enough. IN
picture form But September Morns.
coming in pairs and disporting them
selves in diaphanous nighties on the up
per sections OF fire escapes on towering
apartment houses. are not nearly 50
common. Which explains the interest
with which a certain private Of the first
class. attached 10 the third precinct po-
ice station. viewed the actions of two
figures M flmy white draperies early
very early-iast Sunday morning.
Tla policeman was ratrolling his beat
ong New Hampshire avenue. The dawn
was just CRAVING the eastern skies and
anybody who cut that early last
sunday morning knows bow nippngiS
cool il was-cold enough 10 make heavy
clothes and turned-up collars mighty
comfortable.
Approaching on Of the big apartment
houses from the sUu-SouweSt. the police
man happened 10 east his eye >kyward.
And away up there. almost 1t the top
Of the fire escape that Grapes the
wall Of tie building. h spied the twin
September MornS.
Jumps 70 a Conclusion.
though, that drs, flashed through his
mind. But no. ii could not be. lndivid-
usls Who specialize in getting into other
people doiniciles through upper windows
do not as a usual thing choose the cold
gray dawn as the time for their activi-
ties Neither do they make practice
Of hunting i'll couples; and they prefer u
more inconspicuous costume than diaph-
anous robes de mutt.
so the policeman. walking across the
avenue. hailed the ghostly figures. in
curing 10 know the cause Of the early
morning appearance in highly uncon-
ventional attire and in a most unusual
place
Whereupon the two figures promptly
sat down on the cold. clammy iron plat
form OF the tire escape and cried in uni
son shoe" Which IS the accepted
feminine 80; signal. whether the object
to be Skddooed is hop-toad. raNenlng.
man-eating mouse or Bengal tiger
But the policeman declined to shiddoo.
He wanted to know what il was all about.
and he didn't propose to be "shooed
until he found out.
So the two feminine figures wrapping
their draperies-what there was of them
as closely about their shivering forms as
possible. climbed down few stories. until
they were close enough 10 tell the police
man their troubles.
in her apartment. and her chum, living
across the corridor. has none. A late
call on the phone for the phoneless girl
took her friend across to the opposite
apartment. and while she was in the hall
the vind-naughty. naughty wind-blew
the door shut. and locked it. Chum in
the hall. and trying TO help pick the Yale
lock that had cruelty clicked on the pair,
neglected to watch her own door. and
that wicked wind blew it shut too. And
there they were. locked out in a cold
and censorious world clad in perfectly
beautiful nighties. which, as any one
familiar with such attire knows. are
usually not at all suitable for midnight
promenade through the corridors of popu-
lous apartment houses.
Friend in Need.
counle OF flights down. however,
lives matronly friend of the two, and
downstairs they battered. They wanted
TO go through her rooms to the fire
escape. they explained, after they had
aroused their friend the matron, and
they did SO. Then they climbed up to
their own floor, and were just trying to
get the window open when the policeman
spied them.
They had learned by that time that
there was nothing doing with the win
dow. SO they started back to the apart
geography Of an apartment house doesn't
look the same from the outside; they
failed 10 count the stories, and the win
dow they opened belonged to the apart
ment OF a grass widower, summering
alone while wife and Riddles enjoyed life
at the seaside. Spying the two feminine
figures in the X-ray attire perched on
his window sill, Mr.. Grass Widower. who
apparently believes In fairies, cried out
cordially: Come along in; don't mind
me
And the girls. with muffied squeals.
went away from that window and climb
ed on down the cold, cold fire escape,
while the goosefesh threatened TO rub
holes through those terribly thin night
les.
Locksmith to the Rescue
The services OF locksmith were
requisitioned before those two refractory
locks were made to behave, the girls
meanwhile putting on borrowed bath
robes Ia mitigate the shivers that the
air OF dawn-and II was nipping and
an eager air. too-sent chasing over their
lightly gowned forms The policeman
had been gone an hour or more before
Tn, doors of their apartments We're finally
opened. aud about three-fourthS OF the
population of the apartment house had
been aroused. People were standing
around in various stages of undress, of
fertng suggestions and saylng-tht
feminine contingent, that iS-'Oh, yoL
poor dear things when the janitor and
the Locksnith got the doors open.
All Of which explains why two young
women did not appear at the morning
service at their church last Sunday; also
affords the reason why the same two
Young women are ,doctoring colds, and
further clearing up the mystery of VIII!
tho two Young women blush so violently
hanDpng