The Opelousas courier., 1891-10-10
He PUT DOWN THE CARPET.
A CHAPTER I'M THE LIFE OF NH.
AND MRS. BOWSER.

Ut Do"h d C@&pOa'
s.They finally brought up that bed
stead this afternoon said Mrs. BoWser
after dinner the other evening.
"Did, eh2 just a week since you
picked It out isn't it?"
"Only four days"
"Curious how everybody takes advan-
tage of you. They wouldn't have dared
fool with me that wayi"
"That-that carpet isn't down yet"
.sThere's another specimen of your
style of running thingsl The internal
falsiiers agreed to be here two months
ago!"
s,oh, no, dear. They said some time
this week"
land they'll fool around till Christ
mas! Mrs. Bowser, I don't want to find
fault with you, but | do wish you knew
more about business. You let every
body walk on you as if you were a worm
of the earth"
"But can I bring the men up here2"
she protested.
How is it that everything I order
gets here on the minute! Because, Mrs.
Bowser, [ do business in a business way.
If I should let you have full swing here,
where do you suppose we'd land in six
months! However, I will show those
carpet men that they can't fool with
Jonas J.. Bowser, no matter what ex-
cuses they can palm off on his wife.
I'll slip up and put that carpet down in
about seven minutes
"You-you don't mean It'll" she
gasped.
s3Certainly, lido. I don't care about
saving a dollar or two, but l propose to
assert my in dependence. Where's the
hammer
81 wish you wouldn't. A carpet has
got to be nicely put down"
exactly. have seen one or two
carpets in my life! Where's the tacks2"
"But, / know how it will end" she
persisted. you'll get tired out, get
mad, and then
aAnd then, what?"
"But, remember, it is against my
wishes. If anything happens don't
blame me-"
"When did l ever blame you2 When
did anything ever happens"
She gave it up, and he removed his
coat, vest, necktie and collar and disap-
peared up stairs. The carpet lay in a
heap on the floor, and he unrolled it,
pushed up his sleeves and was about to
begin work, when Mrs. Bowser opened
the door and observed:
II don't see how you are to get it
down without a stretcher."
aPerhaps not. There are a great many
things in this world for you and every
| other wife to learn, Mrs. Bowser."
She retired, and two minutes later
heard the sound of the tack hammer.
She stood it for five or six minutes, and
then went up and looked in on him
again. He had got the carpet tackled
along one side, but she called out:
aWhy, you are lacking that carpet on
the bare ioorl There's the lining on the
window sill You'd have made a nice
job of it, wouldn't you?"
He couldn't crawl out of it, and he
contented himself with rising up and
pointing sternly towards the door. She
went out, but listened and heard the
rip! ripl rip as he pulled up his work.
It was a quarter of an hour before she
dared enter again, and then it was in re-
spouse to a yell which made the cook
drop seven plates and the dog howl
m~ournfully.
ssW-what is it2h she gasped, as she
rushed in to find Mr.. Bowser standing on
one leg against the wall.
stWhat is what2'
aWhy, you whooped like an Indian.
Your face is as red as fire, and some
things happenedl'
ssMrs. Bowser, | am not In the habit
of whoopingt' he sternly replied, ssand
nothing has happened. When I want
you valuable services I'll call to you.
The exclamation you heard probably
came from some one In a balloon passing
over the house"
He had hammered away for about ten
minutes when she looked in on him
again. He had three sides of the carpet
down and was tacking the fourth. Just
as she reached the head of the stairs he
rolled out of the bedroom door with 3
suppressed yell and a great crash.
What on earth are you trying to do,
Mr.. Bowser2' she asked.
You here again. he shouted in re-
ply. 'tDidn'tI tell you to go downstairs
and stay there2 Does it take 40, 100000
people TO put down one confounded old
carpet?o
sBut can't / helpap
ttNo, you can't hclpl Ill put the
thing down alone or pull the side Of the
mouse down. No wonder the carpetmen
dasn't come up here to lay It'll They cut
it a foot too short on this side and a foot
too long on the otheri Lemme catch
the matter now2o
tits got to be turned aroundl You
are tFgiing to ft it the wrong wayl"
mo, Iain'tf''
ssWhy, Of course you arei It's exact
II a fit the other wayl | told you not TO
do it. knew you'd
MRS. Bowser,f he began, as he
crossed his hands behind his back and
gazed at her with d benign expression,
lido I run this house or do your"
aWell. / suppose you do"
Every well. When man was created
the idea was that he should run the
house. That's how he came to know SO
much more than woman. If I am not
competent, however, you have put
down fifteen OF twenty million carpets,
and I neve saw one ii my life, why,
you'd better finish this job and ask the
ZSaE -. WI