us. She had all the
generous proportions of her profession, and with them went a placid
temper and a great sense of personal dignity.

"Oh, Cook," said Miss Ropes, "_you_ needn't go down, you know, unless
you want to."

There are times when official regulations must be sacrificed to
diplomacy. But Cook was in high good humour, and quite determined on
doughty deeds. Miss Ropes said no more.

The task of getting a wide cook into a narrow canvas tube proved quite
unexpectedly difficult; and, when it was accomplished, so far from
sticking out her elbows as brakes, she had to press them close to her
sides in order to move at all. With the aid of a friendly pressure
applied to the top of her head by Sister she got slowly under way. The
chute bulged portentously. The bulge travelled a few feet; then it
stuck and became violently agitated. Sister clutched at the top of the
chute, while Dutton hung manfully on to the other end.

"Don't struggle," said Sister in a stern professional voice. "Keep
your arms still, and you'll come down all right." A muffled screaming
and a dangerously increased agitation of the chute was the only reply.
Cook had quite lost her head and was having violent hysterics. Three
or four of us raced upstairs to aid Sister in keeping the top end
of the apparatus from jerking free, while several more went to the
assistance of the flustered Dutton.

Cook ceased to struggle for a moment, but only through exhaustion;
for when Sister seized the opportunity to repeat her advice a fresh
paroxysm came on, and everybody "stood to" at their posts again. Miss
Ropes conceived the idea of attaching a cord to Cook's armpits and
hauling her up again by main force. She dashed into the house, and
found a demoralised kitchen-maid calling incoherently for help down
the telephone.

Meanwhile Cook had had her worst spasm. We hung grimly on to the
chute, dismally confident that something would have to give way soon.
Suddenly there was a rending sound; the seam of the canvas ripped open
and a gaping slit appeared, through which Cook's freed arm flapped
wildly. Then the arm disappeared as the body to which it was attached
gathered momentum; and when Miss Ropes appeared with a length of cord
she was just in time to see her retainer return to the world--alive,
but practically inside out.

As soon as Cook recovered her breath it was apparent that her temper
was no longer placid. Forgetting entirely that it was by her own
choi