Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-15
HE CALLS UP OLD MEMoRIEs-AN EVENING
OF SOLID COMFORT.

HE CALLS UP OLD MEMORIES-AN EVENING
OF SOLID COMFORT.
CHOW for an evening of solid comfort"
said Mr.. Bowser, the other evening, as he
fell into his easy chair and cut the pages OF
a magazine. Mrs. Bowser, do you ever
realize how blessed we are ?"
eyes, indeed"
"While others fall by the waysiGe, we
are spared"
eyes, while others quarrel and bicker,
seek the divorce courts, we love the strong
er every day."
YES"
He got up and came over and kissed me,
and upon returning to his chair, seemed
lost in reflection for a moment, then he con-
tinued
Chow curious life is Do you remember
the first day I saw you ?''
81 shall never forget it,"
81 was on horseback, you remember, and
you stood OF the versnda of your fathers
house."
"You are a trifle mistaken, dear. The
horse had thrown you off into mudhole,
and I shall never forget the picture you pre-
scented as you approached the house. At
first took you for"
"What A horse throw me off - he in
terrupted.
''Certainly. Don't you remember how
father"
eMrs. Bowser, are you crazy was new.
er thrown from no Sc in my life I'd like
to see the horse that could throw me off !
You must be thinking of some one else.'
"Why, DEAR" you lost your watch in the
mud, and father fished it out. Don't you
remember how our negro Tom scraped the
mud off of you ?''
'Not by a long shot No negro ever
scraped me down You must be thinking
of that pellow haired dude you used to go
with"
We we're both silent for atime, and hoped
It. was the last of it. My experience, al
though dating back over a few years only,
has satisfied me nothing aggravates man
more than to bring up the silly things he
said and did during his courtship. 1t seems
to be a raw spot with them after the hon
eymoon is over. But Mr.. Bowser was not
satisfied. After four Or five minutes he
broke out with
SIT is curious what Ounce man make
of himself with his eyes wide open."
eye s? ''
"The idea that should ever fall in love
with you ?''
cor with you !"
He glared at me over the top of his book,
and there was another painful silence, bro
ken at last by his saying
swell, I'll admit that I was in love but
fiatter myself that I didn't exhibit any
schoolboy nonsense"
sYou were just like any other young
man in love, Mr.. Bowser. They have al
ways been that way, and always will be,
and it's no discredit to them."
"Do you mean to say 'mooned' around
like a calf?n he demanded
81 don't know how calves moon, as you
term it, but you wanted to hold my hand,
put your arm around me, and"
"Held your hand-never !"
''But you did !'
'Never-never %
"Mr. Bowser, l have one of my old dia-
ries. Wait until / get it."
mot much You can't produce no old
diaries nor forged documents on me an
ticpated an evening of solid comfort and
you can see how it has turned out Is it
any wonder that husbands seek the saloons
and gambling houses of an evening ?"
At this moment the cook called me out
to ask what she should prepare for break
fast, and quarter of an hour later, when
returned to the back parlor, Mr.. Bowser
seemed deeply intere sted in bis reading. l
was glad of this, for l felt bit conscience.
stricken, but scarcely got seated when be
asked:
"Was Emma Davis here to-day ?''
seYes."
sfHow was she looking 90
every well. wanted her to stay uatil
you came home, but she had to 20 at four
o'clock. She asked to be remembered to
you"
'sYes. hope she has fully forgiven me. ;
s'What for, Mr.. Bowser?''
ssYou know"
81 haven't the least idei.'
'Ha ha Ia What dissemblers women
are. 1t was always 8 sore spot with you,
though you would never admit it. How you
do blush-ha ha p
sMr. Bowser, what do you refer to ?"
''Why, there's no doubt that the dear
girl once fully expected to be Mrs. Bowsar.'
'tNonsense %
"What p''
'tNonsense ~
"You say that simply for revenge, but
know better. We were good as engaged
when l met you"
Trash, sir ! She was engaged to Jack
Smith long before you ever saw her, and
they are to be married as soon as his time is
ont In the navy. Don't fiatter yourself that
she has anything laid up against you."
'sMrs. Bowser y he began, as he got up
and crossed his hands under his coat tails
'do you know who you are talking to p
81 do"
sfYou are talking to a man who could
have been Emma Davis husband two years
ago'
'I'll prove to the contrary"
'How ?'
''By one Of my old diaries"
'Diaries again Always holding some
thing over me. Nov produce l want to
see one of those diaries you talk abont'
ran up stairs and got them ont of QUE
of MIR. Bossel IS old boots, in which l keep
them for safety. There were Two of them,
each for separate year, and as l came
down with them he looked puzzled AID
and stammered
"W-why, I-I-thought L"
"Yes. you thought you had burned them,
but you were mistaken. The books you
got hold of the other Sunday when | was
at church were two old receipt books of no
particular value. found everything turn
ed topsy turvy, and knew what you had
been up to-"
sWait Let us look up the Emma Da-
Wis matter. Here it is. Under date-of the
10th of July / write dear Emma was
over to d " to congratulate me on my en-
gagement, though she added that if Bowser
as the last man on earth she would not
marry him. She says his hair reminds
her of pumpkins, and that his legs seem to
be badly warped. The dear girl also''--
tsStop p shouted Mr.. Bowser, his face as
white as death.
ssYes, dear, but you made certain as