"Beg your pardon, dear woman," said Schwarmer fussing with his pocket handkerchief. "Beg your pardon, one and all, dear ladies, I meant no harm--no insult to your sex--most assuredly not. I'm all sympathy for any one in a delicate condition and exceedingly sorry for any loss they may sustain and would not do or say anything willingly to aggravate the one or the other. I trust you know I would not. You know also that accidents of that kind _do_ happen very frequently, and without any fright from pyrotechnics. The only damage that can be truly chargeable to the rocket, was very slight indeed, very--only a matter of a few bundles of straw and an old tumble down shed. It made quite a blaze of course, you know it would ladies, and the excitement may have been the one straw too much for the mother delicately situated but there is no real proof of it--that is, no absolute proof you understand ladies. I mean to say that something else might have happened that would have led to the same disaster--something quite trifling, such as a husband coming in late and slamming the door. To speak bluntly we have all heard of such things bringing on premature difficulties. Truly we have, have we not, my dear ladies?" "I see, I see, silence gives consent," continued Mr. Schwarmer quite jauntily, "and I know you have forgiven me any little hand I may have had in the matter--which was very slight indeed, I assure you. The pyrotechnics referred to were under the auspices of a much greater than I--that is pyrotechnically considered. No less a person than the young son of a billionaire friend of mine who has a great taste for pyrotechnics. The piece which caused the premature loss referred to was designed by him. It was very original and powerful--most assuredly it was--almost too powerful for inland display. It would have been truly gorgeous out at sea or off Coney Island or Manhattan Beach. He's a great genius, the young fellow is, and an aspiring one and needs a great deal of room to display his talents, as all geniuses of any size, invariably do. When he was abroad he was royally entertained by the greatest of living Pyrotechnists, King Pang, whose father was knighted by the queen for doing something splendid. I have forgotten just what it was. By the way, he made a very good pun out of the little accident he had here, after he got back to the city. He said that his 'Pet Rocket rocked the cradle prematurely'--or attempted to rock it, or something of the kind. I can't quite remember which; but really it was very good and characteristic also. He always spoke of his creations as though they were live creatures and really they are very lively--very lively indeed, I assure you, ladies."