The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-09-13
his wife finishes some Garning, r1is her
sewing materials neatly away and re-
marks cheerfully:

bath? Nope. Say, that was a bad
smashup on the X. & @. Now, why in
blazes they can't manage this train
business better beats me. They've got
their signal system, with all sorts of
frills on it, and yet they can't stop at
crossroad or water tank but what the
next train has to plump into 'em and
send everybody to kingdom come.
Now, If were running road"
"Are these Billy's cuffs, John?"
mo; mine. Say, if that boy don't
leave my linen alone there's goin' to be
trouble. never wore my fathers
clothes. If had I'd have been taken
for some calisthenic exercises in the
woodshed. And his fathers no better
than-I mean, he's as good assay,
Billy's aching for ickin' and he'll get
| it one of these days. You'll see."
He turns another page and there is
a long pause.
Presently his wife looks at the clock.
| ''My! It's after ten. Sha'n't turn on
the water in the bath, John p
| Some inarticulate grunts issue un-
musically from behind the paper and
Mrs. John rocks back and forth gently.
Soon she yawns a little and rubs her
eyes sleepily. Then she studies the
top of Johns head doubtfully.
"John, dear, it's growing late. Won't
you take your bath now?"
John dear jerks another page over
and remarks amiably that he'll take it
in minute, but why in the name of all
the gods they want to run that duffer
for reelection is beyond comprehen-
sion. 1t is just such skates that dom t
know enough to come in when it rains
real hard that seem to get in office
somehow. They and blacklegs. Now,
if he had been in Office he would have
shown the party what was what. In
the first place, he would
Mrs. John thinks she hears the baby
stir and disappears in the bedroom
When she returns her husband has slid
down in his chair, with his head close
to the lamp, and is dead to the world
in the stock quotations. She tides up
the room, then hesitates and says
finally:
"John, dear, if you don't mind,
think will go to bed. Will you take
your bath soon?"
Something like "Awri-gw'on-finisf
s'article'' floats from the depths of the
! newspaper and Mrs. John thankfully
departs.
"The towels are in the bathroom
|, dear. And your robe is hanging OF
the door," she says from the bedroom
''M'hm. Lemme lone n goterbed,
rumbles from the stock quotations.
!, "Oh! and that new soap is in th'
medicine chest, John!"
''Da-awri-awri! Jus'so," and 81
lence reigns.
Mrs. John is just DOING off comfort
ably as she is suddenly startled init
wakefulness with:
! "Mary, where in thunder are ny batl
8 towels?''
: She tells him they are in the bath
; room and he wants to know why o1
earth she had not said so instead of let
ting him hunt the fiat for half an hou
for towels when he was worn out an
so sleepy he could hardly keep his eye
: open.
= She says nothing, but sinks back o
:. the pillows and has just closed her eyes
= as he dances in in condition OF eA
treme bad temper and distinctly I'm
modest attire and demands to know
she has used his bath robe for doc
mat or sold it to the junk man, as
$ certainly is not in the fat. She tell
him it is hanging on the back OF tn
bathroom door and he dances out, r.
. minding her that if he dies of quic
consumption it will be her fault.
: As she turns her pillow over to til
= cool side he puts his head around tn
portiere and asks. with intense milk
= ness, if she has given his flesh brus
- away as a prize at some of her cine
le parties. He knows he used to own on
le but cannot find it, which is not at
strange in that house, anyway. She r
y minds him that he gave it to the bah
to play hobby-horse with that NOR
ing He stalks off, stumbles over tt
ie furniture, lights all the gas in the fla
e with the aid of several matches and
le good deal of eloquence, and Mrs. Joh
20 finally creeps wearily out OF bed ar
e. finds the brush on the bathroom feu
g, Then she retfres to her bed.
pt In two minutes exactly her lord cal
L her in tones that cause her to run
IS the bathroom. And she finds nj
X garbed airily in moderate-sized ta'
IN towel and liberal supply OF VIII
ne looks like brown paint. His face is qui
KS purple and his language profane.
er Iodine! Iodine!" he sputters. Loo
re ut me, will We? Keepin yer dashed Sol
D. in yer dashed medicine chest as thoul
it was some cure for the measles. He
he was to know that dashed stopp
On would come out, eh? Look at me! 1
NJ sight. And the dashed stuff has
at wear off-nothing but time and pray
n and sand paper will move it. And
he found everything in there but soap
he soap and receipted bills! Everything
he from cure for cramps to your maria
nd certificate. Wipe me off, will We? I'll
It's is. what will come off. Iknow my ba
hit looks like British war map of Afri'