The Fire Extinguisher.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 6

The Fire Extinguisher.

Mb "Warner, a respectable and law-abiding citizen, rode home in an express waggon the other day, having a hand fire extinguisher and the driver for company. "What's that thing?" asked his wife in contemptuous tones as she opened the hall door. " What's that ? Why that's a fire extinguisher—best thing you ever caw — meant to have got one a year ago." " Jacob, you are always making a fool of i yourself," she continued as she shut the door. ; "Every patent-right man gets around you ! as a cat lays for a mouse." " Does, eh ? If ydu know anything at all, you'd know that every chop and office in the city has one of these.. They've saved lots o' buildings, and may save ours." " You throw it into the fire, don't you !" she asked in sarcastic tones. He carried, it upstairs into,, a closet without replying, and she followed on and asked, '.•• Does it shoot; fire out?" , i i " If you don't know anything I'll learn ; you something,! It is full of .chemicals ; you strike on this, knob on top, and, she's all ready to open • this faucet and play on the fire." , • , < ' She grinned a? ehe -walked around it, and finally asked, ** Do you get a horse to draw it around ?"••!,, "No, I don't get a, horse to, draw it, around. • You see those straps ? Well, I back up, put ray arms through them, and here it is on my, back." , • •• I ccc it is," she sneered. "And can't I run to any part of the house with if ?" he demanded. "See— see — ,-— !" And he cantered along the hall, into the bedrooms and out, and, was turning the head of the stairs: when his foot caught in the carpet. He threw 'up , his , arms and she grabbed at him, and both rolled, downstairs. He yelled- and. she .^yelled. •. Sometimes he, was ahead, and tthen ehe took the lead, and. neither !of them,, had , passed j under the *•• string Vr.when itbe ■ extinguisher,. ,bumping and jamming, 'began' to ahoot, off it 3 charge (of chemicals./. >** a I i m'h>l<{ ■ \ >f f ) ". You, old — -\" she $tartsd' to, say,,. when, a stream from the hose struck herJoetweon the eyes, and she didn't ;fipigh. „. * t j „( ; ,f ,; ! >*! What4in-r o-w-c.-iA,/" roared l^r', Warner, r as 'tie got a dose, in the sear.;; They ■> brought, up in a heap at ithe bottom o£.,fthe t stair, the, stream playing intor the parlour, against the, halldoor, and • upstairs f by turns, /and she gasped,?" I'll have you. ; sent to the lunatic V-i Inqtitiji^tif9\ to^re^l,!) dwQ^lng, around* .wi^ih bis? eyes^jfull 'o£ .chemicals, ;( -> " I'm fainting J" sho squeaked. ,

It wai a sad house when^ those highly respectable old people gotio that they «ros uae^thel^eyeaandidisouißttoatteWe^tnlv And he (i said, "DummitM Icn6w>tnoro than all your, family put together J» r ,