The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-11
MIR. BOWSERS ECONOMY.
He Does Little Tinkering and Saves
Fifty D ollars.

| Il won't be sure about 1t, nut think
our doorbelI is out of order. lady
called this afternoon. and it failed to
| ring
It's out of order. of course replied
Mr.. Bowser as he looked up. "As every
thing else in this house is out OF order
why wouldn't the doorbell be? sup
pose you stood there and rang it till
there was nothing left?"
isn't any doorbe1 liable to get out
of order, now and them"
| NO. na'am, it isn't Ours is the only
/ doorbell in this town which ever gets
out Of order. Do you know what it has
cost me to have doorbell men running
up here every five minutes for the last
| ten years.
1T hasn't been out of order for year
before"
Hasn't it? That shows how little
| you heed what is going on in this
house. To my certain knowledge that
doorbell has had to be repaired twenty
eight times in the last twelve months.
That is over twice a month. once in
every thirteen daySi Is it any wonder
! is it any wonder, Mrs. Bowser, that l
can't bank a dollar to save my neck?
Is it any wonder that have nightmare
every night and kick and toss and
groan and have dreams of the poor
| house ?''
| She didn't answer, and he rose up and
stood before her, spectacles in one hand
and newspaper in the other. ami con-
tfnued:
THE doorben busted again-busted
for the twenty-ninth time in a year,! A
thousand dollars paid out in twelve
months to repair busted doorbells! We
might well cult right here and go
to the DOorhouSe.
you can't blame me. Mr. Bowser,'''
she protested.
ISL" he shouted. IF you didn't stand
on the steps and jab and jam on the
button until the wire melted or broke,
who did? Don't try to lay it on some
4 <l-<--<. &c n
house than this in all America. I'd like
to know its location come home aftel
a hard days work, and what do hndg
You find the doorbell out of order.
| quietly replied Mrs. Bowser, but can
pay for the repairs out of my pin
money. You get excited over a very
small thing
Mrs. Bowser, I'm not excited. but
You bust the doorbell. you break
pane of glass, you smash a mirror,
you kick leg off the sofa. you
when did I do these things p
Never you mind! No wife should
talk back to her husband. While your
carelessness cost me over $4,000 the last
year. I shall say nothing more at TINS
time. The bell will not only be fixed,
but I will fix it myself. In fact. was
just wishing there was something
could tinker at for an hour
IF you will let it go till tomorrow,
will get a man to do it. "
THE bell will be duly repaired within
half an hour. Mrs. Bowser. Is my tool
box down CELLAR?
Il believe so, but I wish you would
not NEEDLE with it. Ii anything nap
pens, you-you-'
Nothing will happen, and no one Will
blame you. If can save 81 900 year
by keeping that doorbell in repair we
shall be so much ahead of the game
It's all owing to the fact that I'm
handy man and make my own repairs
that we pull through the year. pre-
sumo the batteries have become ex
| five minutes
He disappeared down cellar and was
absent for half an hour When he re
appeared, he was covered with whire-
wash and cobwebs, but there was LOOK
of satisfaction on his face as ne said:
1.-THE repairs are finished, Mrs Bow
ser, and have saved $50 IN cash. IN
other words. we'd had to have an cleo
trieian around here for five days at an
expense of so a day
| Il.sWhat!t Just to fix doorbell!" she
| exclaimed,
Just to fix a doorbell You don't
seem to understand the gravity of the
situation
What was the matter?"
LAS YOU know nothin0 about volts
and amperes and alternating currents
and open circuits you could not under
stand if I tried to explain. / will now
go out and press the button, and cleo
tricity will do the rest.
1
| When Mr. Bowser pressed the button,
| they began ringing, and when he let up
i they still continued. 1t wasn't SOFT,
melodious ring, as the bells gave out
when a lady caller pressed the button,
nor vet a quick, decisive ring. al when
the Turkish rug man mounted the steps
to offer his wares on the weekly install
ment plan. It was a continuous clat-
ter. with a buzzsaw edge to it, and it
hadn't continued over 80 seconds before
the cat began flying around the room
and the cook came upstairs to ask II
there was time to save her trunk ess
Il told you we ought to send for a
regular man. said Mrs. Bowser. as she
went out to where Mr.. BoWser was
pushing and pulling and jabbing at
the button.
81 don't care continental if you
did," he shouted. Il have set out to
fix this doorben and I'll fix it or die
Co back and tell the cook to shut up.'
The ringing not only continued, put
grew louder and there was a buzZing
from down cellar that sent the cook
into the back yard and Mrs Bowser
/ upstairs Mr.. BowSer was game, how
lever He couldn't tell how many volts
had been let loose to hunt him down
nor how many ampereS were lurking
in ambush to strike him dead. but he
gaIloped to and fro and made use OF
| the hammer. the pinchers, the cork
screw and the screwdriver by turns.
i While he was working a crowd was
| gathering in front of the house, and he
had just found the spot where the wires
| were crossed and cut them all when a
policeman pushed his way up to the
door and demanded:
Now, where's the murder or fire or
whatever it is, and has the villain got
out by the back way ?"
IL was just fixing the bells"
lstarnered Mr.. Bowser.
And do you upset the whole block
and brighten a dozen children into fits
fixing your. bells? Old man, you go
slow It's ag'in the. law to raise riots.
and you quiet down or you'll go to the
cooleri''
Bring out the guilty MANI yelled
half the crowd.
I'VE want Justice done." yelled the
he