West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-09-07
hut II Breaks Down with him and
Nearly Kills the Old Nan.

aud still Mr.. Bowser lin
gered. He hadn't complained Of u
headache or rheumatism, and Mrs.
BOwser wondered what could be
abe matter. When he was Is
minutes behind his usual time for
starting for the Office she felt urged
10 say :
wont you be a little late tins
morning ?"
"im not going to the oHs.
to'dAy,' he replied. ""rhey are
going 10 paint sn1 kalsnmine. ana
there's nothing doing in the way
ct 6nsiness. thought I'd make
q holiday OF it,"
"And well 60 fishing or have a
Tamble in the country. That will
be awfully nice. l can get ready
in half all hour"
"-I'vo got a little job around
the house to-day" he s.am mered,
as be looked up. Il can kill two
birds with one stone. That
n | a i'd to our comfort
and save $40 ut the same time"
"Nlr. Bowser, are you going to
experiment on the gas meter or
anything? There Is nothing to do
around the house"
"Jnst a little job which will take
me about an hour. You spoke
about a hammock the other day.
i went IN to look at 'em and the
prices are regular highway robbery.
I'd see 'em Halifax before I'd pay
any such price"
"But it's late in the season and
we can get along without one"
"Of course but we can have
our hammock and beat the trust at
the same time. There was a man
IN the office yesterday with the
neatest, cutest thing I've seen yet.
1t was a homemade hammock
one made out Of ropes and barrel
slaves. He wanted to sell it for
~, bat can make d in an hour.
AT some of the stores they ask $40
for the same hammock. l can
save the 10 aud have the fun of
making the thing besides"
II wish you wouldn't fool
around said Mrs. Bowser as he
started for his tools.
Fool around" he echoed, as
he turned on her. Cpd like to
know what you mean by fool
around In one hour l construct
$40 hammock. l save the 10 and
have the hammock besides. II you
call that fOoling around, I'd like
to know what you call domestic
economy"
She said no more. Mr.. Bowser
had got an idea in his head, and
he woull carry it out il cyclones
Toared and earthquakes ratified.
lie got out saw, hammer, gimlet,
screw. driver, file, ohlsel, nails,
glass cutter and tapeline, and
having dcpos ited them on the grass
IN the back yard, he looked around
for a b.:rel. There was only one
IN sight. Mrs. Bowser had got
that a month before and had it
filed With dirt for her Mexican
cactus. As between a barrel staye
hammock and a cactus Mr.. Bowser
didn't hesitate a moment. He
kicked the barrel over aud sent
the cactus rolling against the fence.
ind then knocked the barrel apart
and selected eight Of the best
slaves.
81 remember-thero were just
eight Staves," be unused, 'and
they were exactly like those. All
that want now is rope to tie them
with"
The family clothes-line hung in
front Of bis eyes, and Eve minutes
later be had it down. lie remem-
bered that the slaves we're notchcd
20 hold the rope secure. and with
the aid Of the saw he soou bad
them ready. There was no trou-
bic TIL he began strtoging the slaves
on the rope. he go. hIs hammock
hnisbsd, to discover that half his
slaves bowed Up and the other half
down. the whole thing had 20 be
pulled to pieces and gone over
sgsin, but this time he had drawn
y rope 80 tight and left tho other
90 loose that the thing wss all
askew. Mrs. Bowser came out