HE WAS THE FIFTH.

Waipawa Mail, Volume IX, Issue 884, 23 January 1886, Page 3

HE WAS THE FIFTH.

A Michigan avenue grocer whose family occupy rooms over the store was fumigating some bedding the other day in a vacant room, and after a time the smoke began to pour out of a broken pane which he had overlooked. A pedestrian saw the smoke and did not doubt that the place* was on fire. It was a good chance for him to emulate the nonchalance of Mark Twain, and he supposed his desire to yell and turn in an alarm and entered the store, took a chair by the stove and calmly remarked ; 0 Quite a change in the weather ?” “ Yre: 1 “ Don’t look so much like an open winter as it did ?”

“No” “ Trade pretty good ?” “ Well, tolerably fair.” * 4 This would be a bad morning to burn out ?” % “ It would that.”

*- “ I suppose you are insured ?” “ Not fully, hut shall be to-morrow.” “ I’m sorry that you have delayed so long, for I came in to tell you that that your whole upstairs has been on fire these last ten minutes !”

“ Yes; thank you, Willie !” u es > sir,” responded the clerk. “ Miike another mark on the cheese box ! This is the fifth man who has came 10 ™ th ie same guy this morning, a u r» ex P ec t a t least half a dozen more !” ‘ But I tell you I saw smoke pouring fro-the window !” protested the stranger. ‘ Exactly. Let her pour. I’m fumigating. Next!”

hen the stranger entered the store he was sfx feet tall. When he came out he had lost five inches and was still shrinking, and such a look as he carried on his face would have frightened a hitchiDg post.