The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-06
MR.. BOWsER'S CORNs.
Mrs. Bowser and a Razor Play a Lead
ing Part

ing Part.
When Mr.. Bowser arrived home from
the office the other evening. he found
Mrs. Bowser and the eat awaiting hiu
ON the front steps, but he passed tielS
with an icy glare and entered the hal'
and flung his hat on the floor. -
Has-has anything gone wrong to-
day?" timidly asked Mrs. Bowser.
Nothing except that / have been
walking on the edge of my own gravel?
he blunuy replied.
Did you just escape an awful acci-
dent?"
mo matter. shall heye something
The dinner was brief one, bat while
it lasted Mrs. BOwSer felt cold chlliS
go over her. She couldn't recall that she
had eloped. broken window. burned
too much gas, sold any of the Kitchen
coal or been extravagRnt with hair
pins. but that she was to be hauled
over the Goals she could not doubt. She
determined to die bravely. however,
and as soon as they had QaSsed up
stairs he asked:
well, now. what is it?'
Mr.. Bowser sat down and slowly un-
tied his shoe and pulled it off, and the
stocking slowly followed. Then he
rested his bare foot on a chair. worked
his big toe back and forth till it crack
ed, and, pointing his finger. he hoarseiy
whispered:
"A corn-a laundering big corn on
the bottom of that toer'
rs that a1I?" laughed Mrs. Bowser
In her great relief why. / thought
something dreadful had happened"
Yes, a corn" he went on as he con-
tinued to point-''a corn that has made
how did it come there? Look me in
the face, If you can. and tell me how
that corn came therei"
THE same as any corn comes, of
Won fl,o hal <,fr 1,r,e
over, and the pressure on that toe has
given you a corn. You are not going
to blame it on me. are your
II deny that 1 ran my heel overt" he
hotly exclaimed. Nobody but a bow
legged man does that, and the person
who calls me bowlegged dies!"
But look at your shoe" she protest.
ed as she held it up You ought to
have had a lift put on there long ago"
And you-you claim that it's my
fault?"
.Of course it is. You can't say it's
xpiner'
Mr. Bowser had come home with his
mind fully made up to stick to 1T that ii
was all Mrs. Bowser's fault and to give
her a very uncomfortable hour over it,
but he suddenly realized that he had
no case. He didn't want to let go all
at once. however, and so he growlingly
observed.
Il have heard of wives filling their
husbands shoes with sand to get re-
FenSe on them, ana warn you tnaI
propose to sift this matter to the bot
tom before get through. BY thunder
but it hurts! 1 shall probably be laid
up for six or eight weeks with it, and
who knows but I may lose my lifei
Do you think anything can be done?"
'Of course. It's what is called a cal
1ous corn, and it must have been hurt
ing you for days. I'll take one of your
old razors and pare it down, and you'll
be all right
I'm. How do know what you will
do when you once get razor in youl
hands ?"
Don't be silly. I'll get the footbatf
and some warm water, and after the
corn has been softened up I'll pare II
off,
A quarter of an hour later Mrs. Bow
ser was ready. The foot was lifted
out of the bath and wioed dry and
rested on her lap, and she opened thu
razor to do business.
Woman, I don't want any nonsense
over this matter" warned Mr.. Bowse
as he drew up his leg.
There won't be. Let your foot dow
and hold STILL" -
Should you attempt to cripple M
for life by giving my foot a swipe will
that razor you must take the conse
quencesi"
II will. Now. I'll take your toe ii
this hand and the razor in this and
Look at that blamed old catI" shout
ed Mr.. Bowser as he drew his foo
away. by the whiskers of Cicero. sh
is licking her chops and anticipating
feast of hlOodf'