The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-08-28
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NO BALM FOR
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nome, and the instant his feet struck the
ground she knew she was in for an evening
OF trouble. There was certain hitch to
his legs and certain hump to his should
ers which meant mischief As he reached
the gate he kicked it open and then kicked
1t shut, and there was a stony glare in his
eyes as he unlocked the front door and
dropped his hat on the floor.
care you ill, dear?" queried Mrs. Bow
ser as she came forward.
"Ill?' he growled in reply "The won
der is that am not in my gravel
"Why, what on earth's the matter?
Have you got one Of your old-fashioned
headaches?"
"Old.fashioned bosh! suppose hash is
ready, but don't want any! You can go
along and eat by yourselfr'
"Shan't-shant send for the doctor?"
she stammered.
"Send for nothing or nobody!' he
shouted as he passed on to the sitting room
and sat down on the lounge with jar that
shook the house.
Mrs. Bowser knew that it was useless to
persist, and she went to her dinner alone.
When she had finished and returned, Mr..
BowScr was standing before the fireplace,
with his arms on the mantle. He looked
at her for 30 seconds as the lion looks ut
his prey before killing and then said:
''Woman, things have got to 20 different
around this house OF leave it,
'Why, what's the matter know" she
asked.
Ten thousand things are the matter.
Who took sledge hammer and broke thai
pane of glass in the front Window"
'That pane of glass? Why, you cracked
it the day You were hanging a picture and
fell off the stepadder. Don't you remem-
ber?''
'Never! Never hung picture or fell
of the stepladder in my life, In order to
spite me some one has deliberately de-
stroyed a pane of glass that cosr $2S. Who
has been tearing our fence down since |
left this morning."
Clearing the fence down?'
81 said tearing the fence down. Mrs
Bowser. You probably spent half the day
pulling at it and encouraging mob of
boys to create 500 damages
How foolish of you, Mr.. Bowser! If
y"u ale i'll, let me make you some toast
and tea or send for the Doctor"
''Iere is the gas bill" he said rs he
took it from the mantle and waived it
around his head. GA gas bill for 50 for
the last month"
Yes, it came today she replied.
at came today, did it? Came today.
Three dollars for the last month. Mrs.
Bowser, you couldn't think OF any other
way to yank the last dollar had on earth
out of my wallet, and so you deliberately
turned on the gas every day for week or
two and let it 90 to waste Is it any
wonder that I'm ready to die:"
"I'm sorry the bill is so high," she
quietly replied, ''but | couldn't help it.
1t is a dollar lower than it was last
mo nth, and it would have been lower still
il you hadn't sat up nearly all night for
the last three nights playing cards with
Mr.. Davis.
"Never. Never sat up IA single night.
Never played cards. Don't even know
VIII lnnl- nt thic
carpet. Mrs. Bowser? Is this pig pen or
sitting room of IA man who tolls from
daylight to dark TO make a living for this
family?'
whats the matter with the carpet?"
"Moths, Mrs. Bowser!' he whispered,
with tragic gesture. Large, fat and
juicy moths, which you have deliberately
lugged in here to eat up my household
stuff! They have grown fat and lazy feed
ing on my carpets. See that hole, and that,
and that?"
There ism It moth in this house, ard
defy you to ind one!' she spiritetly re-
piled "Ths carpet is beginning to wear,
but I've no money to buy new one"
"Don't talk back TO ne, Mrs. Rowser.
When l say thing is so, that settles it!
Every night for month past l have been.
bitten and clawed and wounded in my bed
BY what? Who went out and bought or
borrowed them and put them in my bed to
harrass and annoy and spite me? And on
top OF chat you ask me if l am ill! Great
Scott, but such cheek!'
Mis- Bowscr walked over ard sat down
by back window and picked up news
paper. Something had gone wrong with
Mr.. Eowser at the office, or his stomach OF
his liver had become upset, and he must
have victim. That's the way with the
average husband. When things go wrong,
he must take it out Of somebody, and if he
can't find anybody else his wife will do.
She realized that he had one OF his spells"
on, and anything she could say would be
useless.
"And look at this mirrorr' he went on
as he wheeled about and drummed on it
with his knuckles "lIeres a glass that
cost me S75, and because you thought |
wasn't going to the poorhouse fast enough
Won stand off with n cluh ard whack and