The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-24
SPARKS" CONTAGIOUS
WHAT A CRATE FIRE DID.

ana prepared herself for the conf
dences that such a position inspired.
The crate was Myra's
Yes replied Myra, but I think
tney are dangerous"
because of the sparks?" innocently
demanded Lydia.
Well, yes, if you use the word
sparks in the old-fashioned sense"
Gracious!" exclaimed Lydia. Il
mad no such thought. But why should
they be dangerous in that way?"
Simply explained Myra, because
crate fire is so conducive to SEN
tlmental dreamings that | never knew
man and woman to sit down before
one but straightway they would fall
10 romancfng: and if they were young
and unmarried ten to one they would
be persuaded, by the subtle and per-
suasive influence of the fire, to ex
change VOWS Or to do something equal
~ foolish
How absurd" laughed Lydia. Did
you ever happen to know of such a
case?"
Indeed l did," replied Myra. Il
| was thinking of Irene Leighton and
| Give Wheaton when l spoke. OF
course they were both of a sentimental
| nature, and they were a bit smitten
with each other before he made his
| first call, but at the same time don't
! believe he would ever have proposed
| to Irene if she had not seated him
! before a beautiful CRATE fire upon that
| first evening"
Dear mel" Lydia drew nearer to
the dangerous flames. do you mean
to say that he fell into the fire, speak
| ing metaphorically, the minute he sat
DOWN"
oh, l don't suppose he proposed
| Instantaneously after taking his seat.
but he is excessively literary, and he
began by recalling various scenes in
his favorite novels where the hero and
heroine had talked their affairs over
before fire, and then he asked Irene
whether she had ever read the Rever-
les of Bachelor.
And she had?" breathlessly de-
manded Lydia
No, she hadn't" went on Myra. SO
/ he told her all about the book and
how the hero of it was a lonely old
bachelor who was accustomed to sit
before his solitary fire and console
himself for the lack of a real COM
panion by some creature out Of his
fancy and out of the ashes. Then. of
course, Give went on to talk about his
own dreary existence and to tell how
ne had not even fire for companion
ship, but that he had a picture of a
happy newly welded pair sitting be-
fore fire and planning their future
together. This was the poor mans
substitute both for fire and for a
wife,"
And of course Irene couldn't re-
stst remarks so touching and original
put in Lydia
She couldn't, When he went home
that evening they had already planned
on which side of their living room
they would have the crate and whether
they would burn coal or wood"
J That was lovely" sighed Lydia.
But don't you dare tell me that the
cold glare of day or the sight of the
ashes in the crate caused her to re-
pent the next morning"
We'll, if she repented she never
admitted the fact" declared Myra.
| for Irene, with all her sentimental
ity, is girl of pluck. Just the same.
| am quite sure that if she and Give
had sat down before a gas CRATE on
| that first evening | should never have
been invited to act as bridesmaid next
| month"
| But / think it was his KNOWLEDGE
i nF af1Y~1
/ her fancy" unused Lydia, as she me,
Il chemically took up the poker and began
Il to stir the fire. It's SO unusual in
II these days to meet a man who knows
Il anything about books or who could
recall single heroine who had ever
II been wooed before a fire, so I'm not
Il surprised that Irene was fascinated
II If Give had sat down before her fire
i and begun to talk about insurance
II or real estate I am sure that Irene
would not have accepted him even il
he had followed up such a converse
ton with proposal"
H Perhaps not" admitted Myra. "But
III l do believe that it was the fire that
/ did it,
II What kind of dress did Irene have
III on that evening" demanded Lydia
II You know that costume has a great
4 deal to do with such situations, and i
II she wore the kind of gown that lends
Il itself to freight and If she sat near
Il enough to the blaze so that her fea
II lures could be illuminated by the fit
II ful flame as the novelists put it
II why, I can easily understand Give:
II quick surrender"
II I don't know anything about these
H Details laughed Myra Il only know
II that the fire was the matchmaker"
Il 'Well.' declared Lydia, q am go
II ing to ask father to have our gas CRATE
II changed to a real log-burning love
II persuading fireplace and then be care
H full who sits before it."-Chicago Dali.
II News.