Show Young Womans Presence of Mind Only the rare presence of mind of Miss Bertha Stewart Wllklns prevented pre-vented certain Injury and probable loss of life In Confederate Veterans hall Wednesday night Miss Wilkins was giving the annual recital of her1 music pupils and some 100 friends of the young Indies were present The programme had proceeded without t Incident I beyond the unusually successful rendition of the numbers until un-til the closing number which was ft piano solo by Miss Wilkins herself This was between 10tO and 11 oclock Miss WJHclns was renderlmr one of Mendelssohns foimtat when suddenly came the cry of FIruJ With one impulse im-pulse everybody rose to their feet and made for the door One woman started to spring from the window and wan prevented only by I two men who selcd herThree Three coolheaded young women who declined to give their names stemmed the tide for a moment by I lurking arms and taking a firm stand In the doorway but they would have been trampled under un-der foot In another moment hud it not been that Miss Wilklns overcoming her momentary terror resumed again time soft strains of thu rieee uhe was rendering render-ing The effect was Instantaneous When the frenzied audience heard the music and reullsod that Miss Wilklns WItS calmly continuing her part of the pro gramme they paused long enough to realize that there was no danger and In another moment order was restored The whole affair occupied but a minute min-ute There was no fire and It Is not known who gave time cry which so nearly near-ly I precipitated a panic Washington Post |