The Topeka state journal., 1902-07-23

I told you they'd give you heartburn
and nightmare. The doctor dropped in
yesterday, and he didn't say anything
about germs and microbes II the house
needed to be fumigated or disinfected,
he'd have said SO"
'sThat shows all you know about doc
tors. He spotted the situation the in
stant he stepped inside the door, and
he knew that it meant hundreds OF dol
lars in his pocket If he kept quiet. 1
shall disappoint him, however. When
I have finished with this house, It will
be sweet and pure as tent on noun
tain top. will now take the lime down
cellar and slack it for use in the morn
ing, and then I will proceed to disin-
fect''
Mrs Bowser realized that it would
be useless to protest further, and she
| went up stairs to hide her tears while
Mr.. Bowser disappeared down cellar.
He finished with his lime in about half
an hour and then brought up a gallon
| jug containing a liquid disinfectant.
| This he carefully poured around the
edges of the sitting room carpet, and
the first smell sent the cat cantering up
stairs.
mo cologne about that" he mused as
he shifted and snuffed, ''but it must be
sure death to microbes. That cat must
come in for a soaking before 1 get
| through. There's no doubt that cats
carry germs around in their fur"
When the sitting room had been fin
ished, he decided that the parlor carpet
ought to come up. He had ripped it up
| across one end of the room and was
bravely at work when the doorbell
rang As the cook was out and Mrs.
| Bowser up stairs he answered it. He
opened the door to find familiar fig
ure on the steps. 1t was his mother-in-
| law. If there had been any doubt
about it, her greeting would have dis
PEELED the illusion.
"Phew! But what on earth is that
smell?'' she exclaimed as she walked
in. "I'll let you've been up to some of
your tomfool nonsense again. Lord.
but skunks amt in it with this smell!'
I'm disinfecting a little," humbly re-
piled Mr. Bowser.
"Oh, you are? Well, I'll attend to
your case in minute. Where's Mary?
Oh, there she is. Mary, I've come to
make you visit of four weeks"
Mr.. Bowser went way back to the
farthest end of the sitting room and
sat down, and even when the cat
walked to and fro in front of him and
gasped and gurgled he didn't dare
jump at her. The mother-in-law came
down stairs after removing her things,
and after looking around for two or
three minutes she stood with her hands
on her hips and nodded her head and
said:
Il thought it was about time for one
Of his outbreaks, and I'm glad arriv-
ed in time. What's in that jugT
'Disinfectant?" sulkily replied Mr.
Bowser.
"Well, you throw it out Of the win
dow. If you want disinfecting, go of
to hospital. Any man who will get
up such a smell around a Christian
house ought to be arrested. Out with
that jugv'
Mr.. Bowser raised a back window
and dropped the jug with thud.
"Who ripped up this carpet?'' contin-
ued the old lady as she pointed into the
parlor.
~ did. There's microbes under it."
ACA ACt ChA 6tAy AA8At tA2CACs 4oO II
get hammer and tacks and replace that
carpet before breakfast. Seems to me
1 smell fresh lime. If you've got any
around here, dump it out. There'll be
: no fooling while am here. What's in
that canT
"Varnish"
"Take it away. You can varnish the
J sidewalk if you want to- but don't you
60 to fooling around with the chairs
and things. 1 won't have it. I've had
my supper, and I'm tired out and going
to bed now, but I want to have a talk
J with you tomorrow. These carryings
!, on around this house have got to come
to a stop or 1 shall know the reason
why. You need strong hand, you DO
and I've got the hand"
At midnight Mrs. Bowser slipped out
OF bed and down stairs in search OF