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88  ABBOTT'S MONTHLY

"Mammy Lou, you're right, I shouldn't worry."

"Uh-huh."  Mammy Lou assented and smiled. 
 
"Would you believe if I told you that the young lady is to be married tomorrow?"

"You ain't joking, Mistah Lee?" 

"No, indeed, Mammy Lou, I'm serious now."

"It's the bes't'ing,"  Mammy Lou murmured as if not to disturb the thoughts she seemed to be turning over in her mind.  Suddenly she burst into a fit of laughter.  "Mistah Lee--married.  I nevah taut you would.  Hones' I didn't."

"Well it seems that you're right again, mammy.  I'm not the man."

MAMMY LOU received the words with a tilt of her head.  Leroy met her melancholy stare with one of his own. 
 
"Yes, Mammy Lou, she's played around with me, made me love her, but she doesn't love me.  She told me only yesterday that tomorrow she is to marry the man of her father's choice."

"You love her, chile?  You know you is such a rascal, Mistah Lee.  Are you sure you love her?"

"I love her more than myself!"

"Is that enough to marry?"  Mammy Lou looked shrewdly at Leroy.  He became sharply aware that Mammy Lou knew him from the cradle. 
 
"Yes, Mammy Lou."  He replied and smiled for the first time since Shirley's abduction.
  
"Then for goodness sakes don't let no talk about another man worry your mind."

"I'm afraid she does love him, Mammy Lou.  She's acted different since she first spoke about him."

"Of course, tain't none ob my business but," in her pause Mammy Lou looked toward the center of the room in the air of one imploring encouragement, than as she went on there seemed to be a little defiance in her tone.  "If dat young lady don't love you den I ain't Mammy Lou!"

"Ask her!" Mammy Lou replied and toddled away to the door where old Sam stood beckoning.  

Shirley Essington with a flush of crimson beneath her wan skin, was half standing, half sitting on the table, picturesquely garbed in one of Mammy Lou's guinea blue aprons.

"Shirley!" Lee fairly yelled in exultation.  

"Leroy!"  She whispered with restraint.

In a moment he had embraced her; almost crushed her in his great burst of joy.  

"How did it happen?  Who is the man?  Do you know?"

Questions leapt one over the other in the mad rush for expression.

"Stafford Bates, Leroy.  Sam tied all his boats to Bates' motorboat and headed it toward the everglades.  He took your canoe in pursuit and undoubtedly fed himself to the hungry water, for a moment ago we saw it driven back before the gale keel-up-ward.  Sam and I were clinging to the back window-sill like wet chickens through it all."

"That's rather a hard break, eh?" 

Shirley lowered her head.  I'm not so sure."

"What?"  Lee ejaculated.

"You know, Lee, he was once a trusted employee of my father's but through his crafty scheming father was plunged into ruin.  Near the end, when father was safely in his control he grew bolder.  When he set his mind on me, father thought it the lesser of the evils to accept him.  You see, father knew and feared him.  Later I came to see things from my father's point of view."

"But this Mr. Bates, Shirley, did he share any of your love?"

"Never, Leroy, Never!"

"Then, perhaps you do love me at least a little, eh, Shirley?"  Lee's smile was more of joyousness than banter, this time.  

"How can you be so cruel, Lee?"
Shirley crooned and rose upon her toes to meet him. 

Blowing Out the Fires of Pelee
(continued from page 9)

straight into the air in order for the force behind it to drive it upward at least some distance before it ignites. 

The first thing to do, therefore, in extinguishing this fire was to set off an explosion. that would break up the two streams and unite them into one going straight up. Kinley erected two large shields made of sheet metal, with braces attached so that they could be stood up at a slight angle. From behind these, men with water hose showered him and his helper while they erected a sort of tripod near the obstruction in the fire. On this tripod they placed 17 quarts of nitro-glycerin. Making certain. that the detonator caps in the right position, the electric wires properly attached and the package containing the explosive at the proper angle, they withdrew and touched off the charge.

THIS did the expected. It broke the obstruction and the stream shot straight into the air in a single column, leaving several feet between the mouth of the well and the actual blaze.

Another shot was set off from its position on the re-erected tripod. It severed the stream, but the cut was a few inches too high. A touch of the blaze happened to be below the cut was a few inches too high. A touch of the blaze happened to be below the cut and the fire continued. 

A third shot containing 51 quarts of nitro-glycerin or more than 150 pounds was prepared, set on a tripod and placed well below the line of fire. This explosion severed the stream and blew out fire. For a minute everything perfect. Then suddenly the well blazed forth again in all its fury. The detonation had thrown some burning embers under the column of failing gas fumed and these again set off the substance.

Apparently the only way to extinguish the fire permanently was to extinguish the embers as well; and and this was no small job, because around the well were. hundreds of feet of white hot metal, stones and other fragments that could easily re-ignite the gas. These must be cooled simultaneously with the explosion in order to prevent their setting off the well again, Kinley decided.

In order to get sufficient water to carry out his plans, it was necessary to string a water hose for a distance of more than two miles, so that water could be pumped from a creek to the scene of fire. This done,  he pumped the cellar (the excavation around the well and in which the workmen stand to drill when the well is going down) until it was full.

Again he prepared a charge of 51 quarts of explosive. When this was discharged it cut off the stream and at the same time threw his body of 

(continued on page 93)

for JANUARY, 1931

JOKES

[[image]]
"Henry, do you realize that you have forgotten this is my birthday?"
"Yes, dearie, I did forget, but it's only natural that I should. There really isn't a thing about you to remind me that you are a day older than you were a year ago."

MY GAWD
Lord Babbington was introducing the new colored servant to his duties, adding, "Now, Zeke, when I ring for you, you must answer me by saying, 
"My Lord, what will you have?"
A few hours afterward, having occasion to summon the servant, Zeke bowed and said: "My Gawd, what does you want now?"

WILLIE GOT GYPED

Prison Teacher: "Now, Spike, a woman has a pie to divide among her four sons, John, Charles, Fred, Willie. She gave John one-half, Charles one-third and Fred one-fifth. What did Willie get?"
Mutterin' Yeggman: "I dunno, but it sounds like Willie got gyped."

TRUE LOVE
Pupil: "I know an example of true love."
Teacher: "What is it?"
Pupil: "Our maid loves the postman so much she writes a letter to herself every night to make sure he will come the next day."

ANYWAY THE DOCTOR KNEW HIS STUFF
An insurance agent was filling out an application blank.
"Have you ever had appendicitis?" he asked.
"Well," answered the applicant, "I was operated on, but I have never felt quite sure whether it was appendicitis or professional curiosity."

[[image]]
Mistress: "Who broke that china jug?"
Maid: "The cat, mum."
Mistress: "What cat?"
Maid: "My gosh- ain't we got no cat?"

SIX PICTURES AND SIX MEN
The city of Washington used to have a chief of police, since gone to unknown parts, who was known as a great thief catcher. Far and wide he was accredited with being "death on pickpockets." He had developed a staff of plain clothes men who, it was popularly reported, could discern a "dip" or a "moll-buzzer" through a stone wall.
Yet the light-fingered ones flocked to the Capital whenever a large crowd congregated there, and too a chance
March of a certain year came along, and a well-known citizen was to be inaugurated president of the nation. A notorious pickpocket had been sought for weeks in vain by the Chicago police, when word came on March 1st that he was en route to Washington.
Two photographs, showing him in profile and front view, were in the Chicago Rogues Gallery. Immediately the authorities had three copies of each view made and sent the six pictures by special delivery to Washington, requesting the Capital police to watch for the fugitives.
Three hours after the Washington police received the pictures, the chief wired to Chicago:
"Have arrested four of the men you want. Expect to have the other two rounded up by night."

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