Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-09-27

E bled Dora, who
&sxis never took an Or
S Egi.;;I der without some
M.be, aerbert urn., objection.
''Well, they can
wait. Now, don't strike any matches.
Get me that big pan you use for the
starch"
In the bathroom Helen emptied the
whole half gallon of gasoline into the
starch pan and dipped into it her chif-
fon waist.
The filmy material wilted down as
1t soaked up the fluid. Her hands in
rubber gloves, she swished it around,
held it up to drain, and pinned it to
the shade before the open window.
After dipping lace collar and the
net yoke and sleeves of her gray taf-
feta, the gasoline was still clear
enough for something else. While she
was at it, she would clean those pink
satin slippers.
Even with the open window, the
Supplying fumes were now sickening-
ly strong. Hastily, with held breath,
she immersed the slippers, brushing
them with soft nailbrush.
The soiled gasoline she always
saved to use again after 1t had cleared
by standing, but now, too dizzy to
pour 1t back into the small-mouthed
bottle, she emptied it out into the
washbasin. Then, escaping from the
bathroom, she closed the door on the
Sitting fumes.
"Here, Dora," as she took the starch
pan out to the kitchen, "wash this out
well. This gasoline bottles empty
I'll put it here on the lower shelf. Be
careful not to use it for anything else" "
When, little later, she went back
to the bathroom, the waist, except for
the thicker parts around the neck and
sleeves, was almost dry. It was beau
tifully white. Had she sent it to the
cleaners, they would have charged 81
and done 1t no better.
It was now after three, and she was
anxious for the things to dry quickly
, so there would be no traces Of odor
when Warren came home.
:: He had repeatedly forbidden her to
use gasoline, insisting that he would
pay any amount Of cleaners bills rath-
er than have her take chances with
this inf1ammable fluid.
The dress on the towel rack she re-
arranged so the air could get to the
yoke and sleeves, but the slippers on
the stone ledge outside the window
were still quite wet.
She had just examined one and set
3 1t back when a lighted cigar butt,
4 tossed from window above, fell
4 straight into the pink satin toe.
: A sizzling flash and the gasoline
soaked slipper was aflame. For Sec
3 ond Helen stood petrified. Then, jerk
t ing up long-handled bath brush, she
r thrust it off the ledge. But it was too
r late! The blaze had leaped to the
: thin lace waist.
Screaming for Dora, she hurled the
8 waist into the bath tub and turned on
e the water. But now the dress had
t caught and the flames were leaping up
the tiled wall.
Dora, bursting open the door, stared
panic-stricken. then rushed back
, shrieking: "E1re! Fret"
The water, How filling the tub, ex-
e tinguished the waist; but the dress,
3 which hung on the towel rack, was
still ablaze. Frantically Helen tried to
poke it down into the tub with the
long-handled brush. Then, reaching
over to turn on the shower, the flames
, caught the lace Of her kimono sleeve,
saturated with the gasoline fumes.
She might easily have smothered it
with the heavy bath mat, but now,
paralyzed with terror, she ran wildly
out, too frightened even to scream.
Blindly she dashed through the hall
door that Dora had left open.
After that everything was a dazed
, blur. The draughty elevator shaft
famed the flaming sleeve as she flew
!. stumblingly down the encircling STAIR
y way. Excited voices. rushing feet and
I Dora's still piercing shrieks of 'Fire r.
Someone caught her. Something
: heavy was thrown about her. The
= rest blurred into oblivion.
=
1--WE sent for her husband" 1t was
I q woman's voice, lowered to discreet
whisper.
"She'll soon be all right" a mans
voice, deep and restful.
For several moments after the con-
se3Dusness of the voices, Helen, still
clinging to the sheltering darkness,
kept her eyes closed.
A sharp pain in her shoulder. Some
one was bandaging her arm. Then she
realized that the man bending over her
snaa noo4nn Marian xuhoso office WAS