Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-24
Mr.. AND MRS. BOWSER.

strange man left the door.
ale was a tramp" l replied.
"And you turned him away with
out even a crust "
"Hsyen't you often told me to
look out for those gentryi He
looked like a hard case"
"He didn't look anything of the
sort The man appeared in i'll
health, and it was mean thing to
turn him off in that way. Mrs.
Bowser, you've got a heart ike a
stone.'
"Well, he is standing on the
corner, and if you feel for him you
can give him something
"Oh, I can! How liberal you
are Well, Pm going to hand him
a quarter, anyhow. 10 one knows
what the poor fellow may have
suffered. I'll let him wheel those
ashes ont of the yard and give him
a dollar for the job"
He beckOned the man into the
alley and asked him il he wanted a
job.
"what is itf" was the cautious
reply.
"WheelIng out those ashes. You
can do It IN an hour, and I'll give
you q dollar"
"I haven't come down to that
yet, old man p
"Not that sort. want quarter
to get a square meal.'
"But you ought to be willing to
work for It,"
"Would you wheel out any ybody's
ashes for any price, Not much you
old blOke There's a ring Of you
fellows who have got US poor chaps
by the neck, and you want to tread
US into the earth. Don't try to
step on me, old man ~
81 did feel for you at first, but
now"
"Oh, yes, you felt for me the
same as a tiger does for an orphan
baby. You wanted to get s. worth
of work for ffty cents. Go 70 grass,
you old bond holder p
"Do you know who you are talk
ing TOT" demanded Mr.. Bowser.
mo, and l don't care Don't you
give me any lip or I'll punch your
head II
Mr.. Bowser started to pull of
his coat, but the man hit him IN
the eye and knocked him against
the fence and then went of saying
that it was lucky for Mr.. Bowser it
didn't happen to be his well day.
"He couldn't have been hard
case, could heN | queried as |
went out to Mr.. BOwser.
He was holding his hand to his
eye, and didn't reply.
"He appeared to me to be IN Ill
health" l softly continued. "Mr.
Bowser, you have a heart of stone !"
He didn't say a word until lie
had washed his eye in salt and
water and eaten his dinner. Then
he turned on me with:
"It was the way in which you
treated his request that drove him
to desperation, and it will be sing
rlar If he doesn't return and burn
our barn! Mrs. BOwser, I've got
to have a PLAIN talk with you! This
thing can't go much farther T"
But it did. He got half the po-
lice force after the tramp, secured
his arrest, and then had him sent
up for three months.
One day a woman called and
asked for aid and told pitiful
story of distress. | was asking for
her street and number when Mr.
Bowser came in.
"Do you mean to insult the wo'
man !r he brusquely demanded as l
wrote down the information.
"I am going to help her If she
has told me a straight story
"Straightl Do you think she
has sat here and lied to you "
"Heaven forbid exclaimed the
woman as she rolled her eyes to
the ceiling.
"My good wOman,' said Mr.
Bowser, ss he turned to her, "you
have no doubt spoken the truth
Anyone can see that you are frall
and delicate and greatly worried
Expect no sympathy from my wife,
She'd demand a certificate of char
acter from an angel. Here are a
couple of dollars, and If you will
call again I'll do something fur
ther."
"Heaven bless you sur You
have o heart, indeed"
When she had gone Mr. Bowser
said to me:
"You'll get Your pay for such
conduct, old lady! No wonder you
are in such mortal terror OF thun
der storms y
Wll bet the woman is fraud =
| hotly replied.
"That's a poor way to sneak ou
: OF it. | haven't q doubt every
word she has spoken has been the
solemn TRUTH
That afternoon rode over to th'
street and number she had giveI
me, but could nnd nothing OF her
| e. t.lcalr