Show THE EVENING EV STORY I JOES JOE'S o CHAIR Copyright 1012 U by W. W V Werner S Mrs 1118 ll sighed every time she looked at it ft The rhe old worn brown leather i chair was hu huge and clumsy and uncomfortable I to sit In It occupied more space In lii the parlor o of their flat than than- half tho other furniture combined And It was s v S a most dl disgraceful appearing ob oh- oh But It belonged t to her husbands husband's old uncle who regarded that choir chair as tho the apple of or his hiIs faded old blue eyes It had been In tho the Atwell family for eight generations and nd looks looks' It Mrs Atwell tearfully told her husband Undo Uncle Joe Joo would have havo parted with v his Is ls life sooner MOnel than with tho the chair And he thought it was altogether too valued a treasure to be hidden bidden In his his' hiso o own n room t tt I t t 7 1 nt I I j i 7 I A fireman looked in iu and saw what she was doing so he ho generously Insisted that It stand In the parlor And Arid there It was tightly wedged between a shining maho mahogany any ta table table ta ta- ble and a a. spindle l legged green satin chair Tell him him to keep It In his own room John Atwell advised carelessly whenever when when- ever In the seclusion of oC their own own room who he hc sobbed a t complaint And hurt his te feelings lIngs she e. e exclaimed reproachfully You Vou ou know I cant That was the time difficulty Much n a a. a she disliked tho the chair she could endure it for lor or years rather than thon see see seea a a. hurt look come Into tho the old mans man's eye s. lYe es Ever since he lie sold his live five vc yea years ar IK before and camo caine to live e with t them m ho lie had paid his was wn with estra a extravagant generosity If u It hadn't nt been been- for or hl his money neither the time I shining mahogany nor the green reen I satin sl chair would have been there to toI I confront nt the old brown leather And AndI I Mrs drs Us U's pretty prett dresses and hats I would ha have been I less leas s numerous The chair was the old mans man's ono one object I Of r affection outside his nephew and that I nc nephews nephew's hews hew's wife wite It linked him to the past When he came he brought a t dog a a. I battered trunk and a a chair chair- The trunk I was wa lost on the way tho dog had died since but the tho chair survived I 1 wish Mrs Atwell said eald once that there thero would bo be a fire firo She Sho was a. a ashamed hamed of ot the wish She was not vicious by nature Otherwise sho she would have trot got rid of the choir chair some way But when the whist whilst club mol met for forthe forthe forthe the first time at her homo home and she sho saw throe three members raise supercilious eyebrows eyebrows eye eye- brows at th the tha old chair she was ready to die with shame The Tha leather was sUtIn slit silt In half a a. dozen places and Uncle Joe obstinately refused to have havo It replaced Such Sueh taste 1 she heard Mrs Wallace Wallace Wallace Wal Wal- lace murmur to Ada Colton Why yes Why esl Ada whispered I wonder wonder wonder won won- der why she keeps It In here rm Tm afraid to sit lilt In It Uncle Joo Joe bro browsing contente contentedly ty In his room over a book smiled at atthe the soft BOtt chatter clatter clat chat ter of voices He knew kne his place so place so he told Johns John's wife wire when he first came to live with Ith them thorn He knew that she sho didn't want an old man nosing around when she had company so he trotted off oft to his room and left heft tho the door open only a a. tiny crack that he mt might ht peek through at the pretty gowned owned women And ADd he be was very cry proud of ot tho the fact tact that EdIth Atwell had the prettiest gown and the prettiest face Edith had gayly protested at his hu hu- Uncle Joe with his thin smooth shaven face fco and black suit was not a aman aman man to be bo ashamed of ot But he ho had been firm although she had urged him to I come In In with a a. secret hope that his pride In the chair would become known and explain Its presence The fhe whist game camo progressed Mrs Wallace Wallace Wal- Wal lace uncomfortably wiggled In the torn leather embrace of ot the old chair and quizzically smiled at Ada Colton who sat at tIle the farthest table In the living JivIng beyond Mrs Atwell Hushed flushed as sho she caught the smile smite and then pretended to be bo absorbed In her handful of ot cards caros Sh She Sho heard Uncle Uncle Un Un- cle dc Jo Joe tiptoe out of ot his room an aol ant through the hall hail to tho the outer door f Th Then Mm's dropped a a. card It fell felt through R R. slit silt In the leather and when Mrs Wallace Vallace succeeded In drawing It out she also pulled out a a. tuft tutt of at waddIng wad wad- ding Mrs 1 IS Atwell twell absently trumped her 1 p. p 1 rs r's a ace and amid tried to Ignore the twinkle In Mrs Wallaces Wallace's eyes It was ae Just then that a bell clan clanged changed ed furiously Absorbed In a futile effort to take ke a trick with a JL Jack when the king and que queen n were both out Mrs drs Atwell I paid no attention until a second nearer clanging caused Mrs lr Wallace to drop her cards and rush to the thc window Her shriek brought them all At the same moment someone pounded on the door and yelled Fire Ire In the street below was a a. crowded mall mas of or fire engines ladder covered wagons and helmeted men The lohe Atwells Atwells' Atwells Atwells At At- wells wells' flat was on the third floor of an 1 Immense apartment building From rom the windows of ot the first and second floors the time smoke was wai belching In thick gray gusts gush From Flom one window a tin tiny name flame I shot out Mrs Atwells Atwell's guests rushed for tor their I wraps and then tIlen wildly ran down the I stairs Sho She started after I thorn them and then turned back pulled a couch ro er off orr spread It on the floor noor I and began to put her few lew pieces of ot costly cost cost- costI I I ly a brac In It Also her dresses I A fireman looked In and saw SIl what sh she was was doln doing and nd yelled a warnIng warnIng- to get out Ill put bring that stuff he prom prom- sed Oh Help Hell me get m my chair out begged Uncle Joe from the the doorway doorway And without waiting for tor help he sprang across the room and tugged with weak eak power at the heavy walnut Mrs Irs A Atwell twell choking over a a. whiff of smoke moke from the hall hell outside ran A Aoi passed her and ur-ed ur her to oi hurr hurm- i She heard hard the the breaking of ot glass glus glassand glassand an and then she n heard a n loud crash cruh on the P pavement outside Then Undo Uncle Toe Joe caught her b by the tho hand and pulled her hen down the smoke filled stairs I An hour later In the time unfriendly I dor don of ot the tho parlor of or the hotel across the I street she he listened disconsolately disconsolate while II Uncle Joe proudly told his neph nephew w that It 1 1 was 1 a mighty solid BoUd built chair that i I could be thrown from a 8 third story window win win- winI I I dow and land unhurt on a stone atone pave pave- pave pave-lI ment merit ii Not Injured a II bit John Sohn demanded II Incredulously ii I Knocked an arm loose but I lean can fix aXIL It In a n Jiffy wh l boastfully T Tell IJ you jou u ie ieNo they dont don't make t t l day I bening No the they dont don't gr gr e ed the frailty o Of the beauty And then he ha trIed I I. I 11 o d Would you mind if yo if If you have tho c chair l miserable miserable- eye eyes knowledge that h he b. was wu home J except for tor Un Unel I. I chair he ha wanted to laugh Tb That ThAi t tho the chair char should 1 be saved VId But Butt ad at Edith's EdIth an angry angry- ry face warne warned mod him hIrn laughter just then would b be- be very bevery very ur to say th tho least So he tried to au an tun any sign of ot merriment Well Well we have hava to find finds tit flat Ii hi hi ran an cheerfully staring at the still tUl Ing log ruins across the way And mol mor morn furniture Edith 1 pave gave wa way ivay and began to err cry was thinking of ot tho the bundle f of bit brae brac and gowns now a a. h. h ashes And Arid tho the chair sat 7 the corridor below Dont you ou cry cr eald said Dont you worry about buying f r tur ture Ill I'll tend tenI l to that But Dut I l' l gu A ho he broko broke oft off anxiously Would t mind If you If-If-you If you didn't have havo the tho c c Mind 1 asked Edith railing a t-i t taco faco j t. t You see Bce see h he h. explained hate to ask you ou to give It up but n never ver feel Ceel easy easy with It here In iii thIs tali I where fires nr are arc bound bo to to happen en week So Id I'd hike Ilko to send It d do the tho country to my slater sisters s' s pl f c It will be bo more mora safe sate You Tou know other things mahogany stuff tuft and i covered coverd trumpery you ou can buy bur buri any time But Buta a 3 chair like mint min be replaced unless So So unless you art au I much much- much or i I Uncle Joe Joo said wd his nephew u together Id never te feel l easy a ales ap apless I less hess It was wan safe Rdo out on a farm rl ht In relieved All right tones tone 1 afraid that you'd bo be hurt An Ana D i I much will Jt it t cost to C replace tb the truck |