Daily Republican., 1889-11-12
srR. AND MRS. BowsEn.
NJ MRS. BowsER.

repairs, are you?"
"Well, not exactly repairs, but WA
just thinking that l could make great
Improvement"
Howl"
1.-THE paint hasn't held its color, and
think shall have the house gone over
again-just light coat, you know"
'Mr. Bowser, this house was painted
only six months ago. At that time we
had halt dozen men around here for
nearly month
"Yes, but the color has faded."
"Didn't warn You at the time that II
would iadef And didn't everybody laugh
at the idea Of your putting pea-Sreen on
q red brick house?n
"No, ma'am, they didn't Everybody
| complimented my taste. I've had a
dozen people OF cultivation and taste tell
me that 1t was perfect harmony, and that
there was nothing In town TO match 1t.
But it's just like you. Whenever 1 de-
sir to make an improvement you are the
drag on me-"
But let It go until spring, any how. ("
MRS. Bowder, did you ever hear the
word 'econony2'"
| eyes, SIR"
"But you evidently do not understand
what 1t means. II means, in n broad
sense, to sell where you can sell the high
est and buy where you can buy the cheap
EST. The painting season lie about closed
lots Of men are out OF work, and I can
than next spring. Isn't go worth say
ing2"
"Yes, but the house doesn't need It,"
'Not In your judgment, perhaps. Peo-
pie who we're brought up In log houses
In the country have tastes peculiarly their
own. The house will DO painted"
He crossed his hands under his coat
tails, paced up and down the sitting
room, and, of course, sunk into Insight
ficance and dropped the subject Two
days later four or five hard-looking fel-
lows with paint on their clothes came up
and looked the outside OF the house over.
At triei intervals they consulted together
and made figures on the back gate. At
other hriet Intervals they measured the
width and length Of the house with q
tape-line. After three hours hard work
tn y came TO a conclusion of some sort
and then went out TO the barn TO rest
their tired brains and wait for Mr.. Bow
ser to appear. When he came home he
confabbed with them for half an hour,
made more figures on the back gate, aud
finally told them TO go ahead.
"They won't make the least muss
around" he said as he came In. "They'll
ekim right over in about two days, and
you'll hardly know they have been here. -
IL was useless TO say anything after the
bargain had been made, and so held my
tongue. Next morning a wagon came
with three long ladders, two short ones,
four step-laddars, two saw-horses, twenty
Two paint-buckets, four pals, and SO
many cans and brushes that got tired Of
counting them. / expected to see fully
fifteen painters come with the outfit, but
ten must have got lost on their way up.
The five were enough, however, to take
possession OF the barn, the kitchen and
the basement
"Looks as If they wouldn't be over a
day aud hall" said Mr.. Bowser as he
started of down town.
1t looked to me as II they meant to
take whole week for It, and went out
to interview the boss on the subject. He
did some more measuring with q tape
line, put down some more figures on The
tack gate. counted his long and short
ladders over, and finally replied:
II did say two weeks at first, ma sm,
but II the weather holds good I thin
twelve days will see the last OF It,"
"Twelve days2"
mot over thirteen anyhowp'
care you doing this by the job?"
"Oh, no, ma'am. Some OF the scrubs
take jobs aud rueh 'em through, and
cheat folks in the most horrible manner
but wedon't We work by the day and
do our work WE'LL"
Then began q cfrcus which lasted just
seventeen days Without change of pro.
Rramme. Every painter went down Into
the basement to inspect the walls OF the
I xun traN hRI
hour. When they reappeared they in.
spected the interior OF the barn, and
were Invisible for q long hour. Then
they came out and managed to raise 8
ladder against the side Of the house.
They might possibly have raised another
during tie forenoon, but one oil them
fortunately observed tn st the first ladder
was little shaky. This brought con.
sultAtlon, AMI the ladder was taken down
and inspected. By a vote Of three to two,
il was decided that one of rungs was
loose. Then the five put in Just an hon
and half hunting for ha MINER and
nails, glue-pots. wedges, crowbars, jack.
screws, pile-drivers and other articles
deemed necessary to make repairs. WheI
Mr.. Bowser came home to dinner not q
thing had been done in the way o.
painting. complained Of this, but b.
replied:
, ''Oh, give them a show. They hay,
got to get ready. When once they star
they will move like n cyclone"
| "Why did you hire them BY the day?'
"To get good work."
"During the afternoon the painters
rails d second ladder, mixed atout q
gallen of color, drank four pints of Mr..
Bowser's bottled beer, and carefully
inspected and gave each other their indi-
vldual opin ons on the age and nation.
ality OF the kitchen girl.
Halt an hour before Mr.. Bowser came
home one Of then earthly aud cautiously
assembled ladder, painted portion of {
bracket and came down and went over
on the back street to see how 1t looked
The Others went over to help him, and
none Of them were seen again that after
noon.
The second day was but a slight i'm
provement on the frat aud 1t was foul
daye before one could see that any worh
had been done. Then Mr.. Bowser con-
cluded be dn't like the color, and he
had 1t changed. He was earnestl,
advised to do this by the painters. who
sad the color they had been putting on
was rather out OF date and did not har-
mon.z, with the color of our front door
At the end of the twenty-secoud day
Mr.. Bowser came home TO find that four
fiftts of the work had been accomplished
He ct mad and discharged the whole
crowd out of hand, although tho hos,
pi,iiully protested:
"Never drove gang of men go hard
In my life, and j did want to do q job
here to which could point with pride. u
When Mr.. Bowser came 10 he began tc
figure. l saw his hair begin to stand OF
| and mud nraeantly ha arrIainad.