Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-09-12

We'll find a little paradise. We must
be at the dock by O'Clock. There's
nothing 10 prevent you from going,
supposeT'
NO" she hesitatingly replied.
But don't you want to go?"
ut would be very nice, but I'm
afraid you'll-you'll'-
IN what" he sharply demanded.
''Do you mean I'll get mad and raise a
row."
"Yes"
Il shall do nothing of the sort. If we
were fools enough to go on a common
excursion, | might see things to find
fault with. but this is to be select and
exclusive, and fraternal spirit will
pervade the atmosphere. There'll be
everything TO praise and nothing to
criticise. Tell the cook to have the
lunch basket packed in time"
"Should-should things not go right
you won't blame me, will your que
ried Mrs Bowser as she fidgeted about
"My dear woman" replied Mr.. Bow
ser as he lifted the family cat to his
knees and gently stroked her back,
everything will 60 right, and We'll
have day Of unalloyed happiness"
She yielded with sigh and with just
| glimmer of hope that the day might
possibly pass without calamity. Mr..
Bowser got up next morning in great
good spirits, and he seemed so deter
mined to make jolly day Of 1t that
she grew hopeful and was even little
enthusiastic as they left the house.
When they reached the dock, they
found quite q large number of Broth
ers assembled, and Mrs. Bowser was
somewhat astonished at the dress and
manners Of most of them. 1t was a
"horsy' crowd, as near as she could
make out, and several men had pre-
pared for the day by taking several
drinks. There were few women, but
they did not greet each other in isis
terly" way. A number Of men slapped
Mr.. Rowser on the back and called him
old man, and before the boat came
along there was a little row in which
sne Gentle Brother hit another on the
nose, but Mrs. Bowser didn't see any
way TO get out of 1t unless she fell
dead.
For the first half hour after the boat
got away the Gentle Brothers were
fairly gentle with each other. They
had to be- The boat was SO crowded
that they couldn't get free play for the
elbows. 1t was only after a number of
them fell asleep and were corded up
between decks that the others began to
enjoy the day. As Mr.. Bowser had
predicted, fraternal spirit prevailed.
1t was so fraternal that the Brothers
knocked his hat off, walked on his feet,
offered him cent cigars and called him
"Old Humpy." They needed no intro
duction to Mrs. Bowser, and they could
not understand why she was so con-
strained and retiring when they asked
her to waltz to the walls Of a con-
certina and sip n glass of cold beer.
One of them at length got the idea that
she was unhappy, and he chucked her
under the chin and told her funny
stories until he fell off his chair and
was dragged off to Join the score that
had gone before. 1t was due Mr.. Bow
ser to record the fact that he was a
hero for an hour or more. That is, he
GOuEi III W bt d otllllt lSlOihIA Win hhC
others. He put up with everything
and kicked at nothing, and had the eat
at home been there to see that bland
smile on his face she would have been
deceived into the belief that he was
taking solid comfort. Even wa@n Mrs.
Bowser asked him to explain how ii
was that so many Gentle Brothers had
happened to get out Of staA prison at
once he preserved that Apile as he re-
piled:
"My dear woman, they are out to en-
joy themselves for the day, and their
exultation cannot be entirely restrain
ed. When we reach the island, we will
go off by ourselves to eat our lunch"
He had been told by n Gentle Broth
er and he had told Mrs. Bowser in
turn that the island was n sylvan
grove and that a thousand people could
lose themselves in the shady hooks and
cool retreats. When it was reached,
however, things looked different. 1t
was an island with three scraggly old
trees growing in the center, and there
were IL blades of grass, one burdock
and two thistles as ornaments. The
G.. BIS made no kick, however. They
rushed ashore with their lunch baskets
and had their kegs of beer rolled after
them, and their gambols were full of
happiness, and their voices told only
Of merriment. Mrs. Bowser objected to
going ashore, but Mr.. Bowser patiently
argued the point with her and carried
1t. They had to take a seat on n rock
in the hot sun, and neither of them
could eat n mouthful of lunch, but they
had got along very well when Mr.. Bow
ser was asked TO join In the games.
He excused himself, but the Gentle
Brothers wouldn't have 1t that way.
He had heen impolitic enough to boast
that he could jump higher than any
one in the club, and now they wanted
to witness the feat. When he contin-
ued to claw off, half dozen men selz-
ed him and dragged him forth, and the
climax came. That is, Gentle Brother
Bowser broke loose and rendered his
resignation on the spot and told the
other G. Il. s what he thought of them,
and Of course the fraternal spirit didn't