FIRE AND BURGLAR BATTLING 227 



built their substitute peaked and narrow lintels over wide thresholds. 



Bedrooms. 



On this second floor are spacious boudoir, morning and sleep- 

 ing rooms with many windows. In one suite double doors were 

 used enlarging the room. Many bedrooms have two exposures, 

 preferably south and west, cooler in summer, warmer in winter, 

 bays and projections aiding materially in the accomplishment of 

 this purpose, at the same time improving the exterior of the 

 house. Most masters' bedrooms are large enough for two couches, 

 one paralleling the foot of the bed, the other fronting the fireplace 

 which is almost as much a feature of each main bedroom as are the 

 windows. 

 The Wall and Fireplace Jewel Safe. 



In the larger bedrooms are small steel safes set in cement and 

 riveted between wall studs, kept plumb and solid by an iron pipe, 

 and concealed by pictures. One fireplace and hearth on the second 

 story is large and strong enough to hold a silver safe electrically pro- 

 tected, its front concealed by a brass grilled register face with invisible 

 hinge and lock. 



In the second story hall is a quaint little staircase of a half-dozen 

 steps, the treads covered with red carpet held by brass rods. 

 Beneath are bookshelves. The stairs lead to a boudoir guest suite, 

 consisting of centre sitting room, two bedrooms and bath closet. 

 Casement leaded windows of translucent glass swing open into the 

 hall, assisting in its lighting, and make another of the motifs linking 

 these three halls. Owing to the extreme height of entrance hall 

 directly below, the casements of this low studded room necessarily 

 open close to the floor, and require metal guard rails. All guest 

 rooms are fitted with writing desks complete in every detail. In one 

 the bed is placed on a dais with rounded corners in pillared and 

 windowed alcove. When portieres are drawn the room assumes the 

 air of a boudoir. In another is a shallow wall recess wide enough 

 to accommodate bed heads and draped by a canopy. This arrange- 

 ment gives excellent closets each side of the alcove. All masters' 

 sleeping rooms have additional blind doors. 



A friend motoring through southern France noted that at a 

 quaint farm house where he stopped the bed linen was kept in drawers 

 inset over the fireplace, a custom that could hardly be copied in 

 some American-built houses without a visit from the fire insurance 

 adjuster. 



The Sunshine Room and Sun-Bath-Room. 



In planning we did not forget the sun room, which communi- 

 cated with one main bedroom and the hall. With its wicker furni- 

 ture, bright cushions, rugs, singing birds and plants, it metamorphosed 

 January into June. The sun bathroom had a large south window 

 and a roof skylight. A tiny fireplace hugged the wall and a mat- 



