Mrs. Kansas to drive her over) caused 

 me to remember that the parlour fire at 

 the Cartersville Hotel must be very 

 comfortable, and that it was a mile and 

 a half of tiresome snow away. 



Evidently the wives of my husband's 

 partners had disagreed on the way, 

 for the air was electric as they greeted 

 me, and to avoid another tete-a-tete 

 they at once turned to accompany me 

 out of the tunnel. I was the last. 



The scene was now properly set for 

 a mining accident, so there was nothing 

 for a self respecting tunnel to do but to 

 act accordingly, which it did. Just as 

 the fat woman and the lean woman 

 passed into the open air, and I was 

 nearly at the mouth of the tunnel, it 

 caused its roof to cave in so close 

 behind me that, had I not instinctively 

 rushed out, some of the flying stones. 



