The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-07-07

| they turned on the extinguisher. This
was more than Helen could stand.
Forgetting her DISAGREEMENT, her tum-
bled hair, end the nightgowa Tapping
about her bare ankles below S&g negli-
| gee, she ran over to the chf'pf with O
tremulous:
"Oh, please don't let them splash
that panel! The whole room'li have to
be done over"
watch out for that panel, Mike"
Then to Helen: This isn't tea party,
lady. We're here to put out the fire!"
"But there isn't any fire now" COM
batted Helen under her breath, as she
| picked her way over the debris.
Standing by the side window, she
could see the snorting engines below.
Although it was after midnight, the
street opposite was lined with people,
their upturned faces cleaning white
in the darkness.
With gruff brevity the chief now or
| dered two men through all the other
apartments to examine the awnings
and easements for any chance sparks.
"If you can't get in--break in" he
shouted after them.
One of the fire patrol was now TAX
ing Warren's name, his office address
and the amount of his insurance.
swell, come on, boys, that's all
here!'
Gathering up their tools, the fire.
men stamped out as abruptly and i'm
personally as they had come. When
the door slammed after the last spiked
boot, Helen dropped on the couch and
stared at the wreckage.
ITS an outrage" flamingly indig-
nant. "They ought to be reported p
Tearing down the whole place when
the fire was out before they got here"
"Oh, well, that's what you've got to
expect from firemen," growled War
rem. "They're not taking chances on
having it break out again-and they're
right about that, soo."
But the walls and ceiling! They
didn't have to wreck the whole place.
And oh, cookbook at this" she start
ed up to examine the Scared back of
chair, against which strip of mold
, ing had fallen.
1.-THE insurance covers all that.
: Ought to be mighty glad it's no
worse. We got off pretty easy. Hello,
!. guess the phones out of commission 7
picking up the loosened wire. Then.
, crossing to the instrument, he tried I'd
get Central, but without success.
Distracted by the scattered debris,
Helen had the broom and was trying
, to sweep it into pile under the win
dow,
Here, do your housekeeping to-
morrow" yawned Warren. Lets get
to bed"
II must brush up this broken glass
| -somebody'll step in it."
: 1t was after two before they were
finally IN bed, and even then, too ex
, cited to sleep, Helen insisted on talk
} ing it over.
"The ceiling'll have to be done, toe
we'll be torn up for days And oh
/ forgot" with added dismay, were
|, having the Stevenses for dinner
/ Thursday"
"Well, it can't be helped! You car
insure against loss-but not agains
, discomfort. Guess everything's al
/ right out there"
{ Leaning out of bed, Warren opened
} the library door for a final assurance
that no smoldering sparks had blazet
forth.
: Then with vigorous force he swun,
) and shut the door, the full rebound O
| his elbow hitting Helen in the eye. al
| she peered over his shoulder for
view Of the wreckage.
| Speeches. with pain, she coveret
/ her face and sank back.
: "Oh, Kitten, did / hurt you? Didn'
know you were there"
. A faint moan was her only answer
. In real alarm, Warren sIrang up ant
t switched ON the lights.
/. Fright plump in the eyer" forcinI
D her hands from her face. glove, tina
was a nasty punch. Where's the witc'
I hazelT"
Dashing into the bathroom, he cam
a back with a bottle and absorbent cot
ton.
"Oh--oh, my noses bleeding" faint
ly, as he sopped her closed eyelid.
q 'How's the eyer" in strained anxl
). ETY.. Lets have look at It," leadin
her to the light.
i Another half-hour of anxious appli
cations of witch hazel and cold cloth
q relieved the intense pain. Once NOR
: they settled down for the few hour
that remained Of the night.
y "All right now, Kitten? How doe
q it feel?" drawing her to him. "Sti
hurtW
mot so much" Then despairingly
: "Oh, it won't be swollen or disco
credw
!, "What lie it is?' seeing the hume
6 of this added catastrophe. "Yo
oughtn't to mind little thing lik
= that. Give the neighbors somethin
. to talk about if they thought ! bea
: yon up occasionally. Come, now, let
try and get some sleep. A fire and
:, hloct, ave--that'S about enough f0