West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-07-13

W. h'AA wi hCh' oit l"sltltu'
"There's no use 10 read the Dee
claratlon Of Independence TO you
in order to be blown up AT the
finish. Mr.. Bow,cr, don't fool
with powder at nlghtl'
"Nobojy is going to fool a.
you call it, Yon must rakc me for
\ tcn-ycrr old boy. II you don't
want TO stay, shall not ask YOU
TO. | 6ronght hose rockets home
to Ill sud oil 'em shall You've
got about as much patriotism in
your soul AS all Old cat"
Mrs. Bower put on her hat aud
took eAip. aud the dining room
being clear. Mr.. Bovser lsid his
bundle on the rablo aud procss ca
to business. Filing those rockets
was an i!ea or hl. osn. The man
who sold him the empty shells aud
powder had sought o disuSde him
tut that only made him all the
more determined lie had Just
opened the packs age when he cook
came in and caught sight Of the
contents, aud asked:
"ls it fireworks we ARE fooliu,
wild Mr. Bower"
elm making some rockets" he
replied.
"Ihen yell excuse me, but III
go out in the backyard and take n
seat "gin the feuce. | was blown
up by gunp1wper once, and me toes
are not done crackin' yeti"
lie flushed as he glared at her,
but she didn't wait minute be.
fore vacating her kitchen for tho
yard. There were six empty
rockets and u pound of loose pow
der, and as Mr.. Bowser worked
away he couldn't see the slightest
chance for an accident. All he
had to do was to spoon the bowder
into the shells and put on the
pasteboard cap and glue it fast.
He had filed three Of them, when
1T occurred to him that he might
be called upon 20 deliver a brief
address at his club.
"By George, but l ought to have
something ready IN case I'm called
OUT" he whispered to himself. as
ne suspended his labors to rise up
and walk about. "Let's SEQ!
Let see! Ia want to start in
with the landing of the Pilgrims,
Of course. They wouldn't expect
speech over ten minutes long.
I'd give two minutes to the Pill
grlms-two to English tyranny and
the outbreak of the Revolution
two more"
MIR. Bowser fished a cigar out Of
his pocket and struck light. lie
| forgot all about the powder in try
ing to work out a speech. The
powder didn't forget him, how.
ever. II was biding its time. and
the time came almost with a first
puff Of the cigar. There was Il
great fash and IL puff. Tho cook
saw 1t through the open doors, but
she had scarcely leaped 20 her feet
with scream when Mr.. Bowser
appeared ut the back door. Close
behind him were the rockets he
had filled They were splitting
and suffering and twisting and
Ieaping, but always having his
back as on objective point. The
three hit him in chorus rs he
reached the door, and before the
cook could get out OF his way she
WAS run over and slammed against
the fence. She did not faint away.
but could only dimly remem Der Of
three streaks OF Gre playing back
and forth--of yells and cuss-words
-ot some heavy body climbing the
fence and falling kerplunk! on the
other side. Then the FIRE bells
rang and the engines came, and
for ten minutes water was being
pumped into the lower part OF the
house At the rate OF hundred bar
rels a minute. Mr.. Bowsor was
not with the crowd in front OF the
house. lie did not show up when
the fromen left. The bells sound
cd midnight, and yet he was alb
sont. II was within an hour Of
daylight when he camo sneaking
in, aud Mrs B)vser sat waiting
for him. lis hair had been
( 'uzz'ol and singsj; the back Of his