Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-08-15

rubbish In her kitchen stove and when
she went to bed there were some rags
smoldering there. In some way the
due was stopped up-swallers' nests In
the chimney, ! guess-and along about
midnight the house was filed full OF
smoke.
'The widder screeched 'Firsr and ran
out into the road In a blue flannel
nightgown, and Miss Phoebe screamed
herself hoarse as she stood beside her.
she wearing pink hannel-ahem"
said the captain hurriedly, IN response
to q warning glance from his wife's
sye
IT don't see why them details are
necessary" chided Maria severely.
The captain scratched his chin
thoughtfully.
Seems funnier to think Of the two
Of 'em, one In blue and t'other In pink
well, Maria, I'm going on with the
story.
"Heems Ananias had been out to q
lodge meeting and he was just getting
home when it happened, and he found
them hollering fire. Capn Charlie VII
lis had already telephoned to the en-
gine house. and there was nothing for
Ananias to do but try to save some OF
the valuables.
1T was an exciting scene, Cap'n
Charlie says. The widder was hol-
lering for Ananias to go In and save
her pocketbook and her gold watch
from under her pillow. and Miss Phoe-
be was screeching at him II he loved
her to 90 and do the same kindness
for her.
"so Ananias, being brave in some
ways, tied a handkerchief over his
mouth and sailed into the house. He
had to grope his way around upstairs
to find their pillows with the treas
ures under them and not trying to save
anything Of his own he staggered
downstairs again and gave the widder
a bundle tied in a handkerchief and
another one Just like It to Miss Phoebe.
Then, being little man and not much
stamina to him, he just tainted away
from swallowing too much smoke.
Just then the fire company arrived.
towing the engine, and by the time
they'd flooded the widder's dining room
and kitchen they discovered that the
fire was In the stove and nowhere else,
but the smoke was all over the house.
'Cap'n Charlie says that them three
was the maddest people he ever saw.
Both the wimmen being caught disha-
billy, as Miss Pringle said, was bad
enough, but It seems that Ananias had
mixed up the bundles under their pill
lows, and while the widder had Miss
Phoebe's watch and pocketbook and
small cargo Of Ananias' poems to her
Zone Of them was called, TO my Phoe-
be Bird,'C why Miss Phoebe had the
widder's watch and money and a pack
age Of Ananias' love letters tied with a
blue ribbon-Maria, do you sleep with
my love letters tied with blue ribbon
under your pillowT demanded the cap
tain, turning to his good wife.
'tDo go on, Barnabas. We're dying
10 hear the rest Of it." urged Maria.
"Well, the rest Of It was terrible
wrangie between the widder and Miss
Phoebe Pringle when the two ladies'
exchanged private and personal prop
erty and private and personal opinions
Of each other, and their opinions
wasn't fattering, neither. As for Ana.
MAS, when he found out what had
happened he give himself up for lost,
and naturally he come to me to wealth
or the gale. Miss Phoebe went hot
foot back to Little River, while the
widder's been busy cleaning up her
house"
"And where's Ananias been keeping
himself all this timer" asked Maria
suspiciously.
Captain Barnabas removed his pipe
from his lips and pointed out to the
bay where bis ship, the Indus, lay at
anchor, enjoying an idle old age In her
homo port
.Ananias shipped aboard the Indus
the very next day, and If you look you
win see his little dory bobbing out to-
ward her now. / reckon he's got his
victuals In a basket, and he cooks for
himself, and he'll have a quiet, peace
ful time till the widder Rowell for
Gives him and sends for him to come
back again"
"How about Miss Phoebe Pringle and
hsr bhghted affecnonsT I asked curl
ously.
'Homely as a scrag fence| inter.
polated Maria.
'Miss Phoebe-why, she took her
elighted affections back to Little River,
and she's having the poems that Ana
ndas wrote to her all printed In the
Little River Echo with her own name
ngned to 'em, and Ananias is bitter
against her, but he don't dare say a
word"
'That's tho punishment Of the deceit
ful and the cat-footed," said Maria ~
she arose 30 prepare supper.