The Washburn leader., 1916-03-17
WoMAN's RELIEF CORPS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

Dear Connie:
Can you come to dinner Friday!
I have an extra girl, and as usual !
need man, Connie. dear, don't
think I'm asking you for the tenth
time this season just because am
so fond Of you: such of course we all
are. But it Is because you are such a
darling to fill in. What would we do
without you?
Faithfully yours,
Belle"
"P. s. Don't tell the story about
the fiamingo. simply can't laugh at
1t again. can say it backward in
my sleep. Hunt up new supply"
"Well, l like that" laughed Connie
Collins good naturedly as he laid aside
the note and resumed his grapefruit.
"One thing about Belle-she's candid
He sighed. 80 I'm to supply again!
1t seems to me I've developed into a
regular married woman's relief corps"
He finished his coffee and went to
the office where he called up his pro-
spective hostess for Friday.
Hello, Belle! got your note.
Count on me. Yes, sure. No, I'll not
tell the fiamingo story another-what's
that? Oh, she's pretty, is she? That's
encouraging. Say, Belle, have some
of that crab meat again, will you? All
right-good for you! I'll be there
sure"
When Friday night came and Con.
ME was presented to the young per.
son he was to take in to dinner, his
first impulse was to hunt up his hos.
tess and weep tears of Joy and thank
fulness upon her shoulder. Miss May
well-such was her name-was a
vision of sweet delight.
At dinner his hostess kept nodding
and smiling at him as much as to say,
''It's your reward, Connie, for long
period of martyrdom."
Then gradually-so imperceptibly
that no one noticed it for while
the air, heavy with the scent of Amer.
ican Beauty roses, became pungent,
a blue haze began to fill the room and
finally an eddy Of smoke trailed across
the low circle of light thrown by the
candles.
"Fire!" woman breathed con.
vulsively and the guests sprang to
their feet. Bellies husband, Max
Wells, threw open the door into the
hall. There was q solid wall of white
smoke.
Dorothy Maywell laid a hand on
Comics arm. do you think It's up.
stairs?" she whispered. live got
to go up and get some things II 1t
is."
"You mustn't think Of that" he in.
sisted kindly. Lives first, you know"
He laid his hand reassuringly over
the one resting nervously on his arm.
But I've got to. Doesn't anyone
know where 1t is?"
Then. before he realized what she
was doing, she dashed a glass of wa.
ter over napkin, caught it up to her
face and was out Of the door, through
the wall of smoke and tearing up the
stairs.
Connie was at her heels, but he
could not stop her. There had been
no time for him to protect himself,
and the smoke in his eyes and lungs
strangled him, but he kept on.
Upstairs the smoke was less dense.
Dorothy ran along the hall and into Q
ysooy,a a. tho p}0ht
"You cant come in," she called.
But Connie, with eyes alert for flames,
paid no attention.
"Hurry!" he urged. Get what you
want. But for heavens sake hurry"
She few to q bureau, opened .
small top drawer. got something that
looked like q card, slid It into the
front Of her gown and faced him. II
I'm ready" she choked.
Comics eyes were smarting so he
could scarcely see. But they CROPPED
their way along the hall, keeping as
close to the floor as possible. They
almost fell down the stairs. In an.
other instant they we're outside on
the porch Just as the flremen arrived.
The men rushed into the smoke
filled house, upstairs, down cellar,
garretward-yet there were no flames,
only dense, acrid smoke.
mo fire in the house at ALL" yelled
someone. TITS all coming out of the
registers. Something wrong with the
furnace"
So to the cellar they went and found
q piece of damp carpet smoldering
In disused furnace.
Open windows soon cleared the
house sufficiently for the guests to re.
turn to their coffee.
n AS Connie placed Dorothy's chair
for her. he noticed a white square on
the floor. He picked it up and saw
his own photograph, with something
written on the back! In an instant
It was in his pocket. In some way
he knew 1t was what Dorothy had
been 80 frantic to rescue. 1t was very
puzzling! Instinct told him. too. that
she must never know he had dfscov.
cred It.
This was what was written on the