The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-27

How about your toothbrush: Are
you going to borrow one in Chicago:"
Il want it, of course, and 1 was
about to ask where it was. Don't i'm
agine l shall forget anything"
Are you going to take your shaving
outfit along or go to a barber shop"
Mr.. Bowser flushed up, and his ears
twitched, but he crowded in the outfit
without a word and was on his way
downstairs when he suddenly stopped
and exclaimed:
by the living lingo. if it hasn't gone
clean out of my head!'
What is it nOwT"
why, the man told me what time
the train went. but I've forgotten
whether it was twenty-five minutes be-
fore or after 10 o'clock. | asked him
for a time table. but whether he gave it
to me or not
"Be cool, Mr.. Bowser,' she cautioned;
"be cool and calm and don't get a nerv-
Gus collapse"
"WhO'S getting a nervous ~cOllapse:'
he shouted. II have no doubt that |
brought a time table home with me,
but you've probably gobbled on to it to
make me miss my train. That's one of
your little tricks, but it won't work"
lie went TO the telephone and rang up
the ticket office. the baggage express
and three or four other folks and at
length discovered that the train started
exactly ut 10 o'clock. Mrs. Bowser
waited until he had secured this infor-
nation and hen quietly asked:
You secured your parlOr and sleep
ing car tickets, of course:"
BY John. BY joint" he gasped as
he jumped up.
That's just like Il man. but you can
probably get them in the morning.
You. of course, don't object to riding
backward all day and taking an upper
bert ut night?"
Mr.. BoWSer jumped for the telephone
and raised the central Office q foot high,
but after half an hour of heIloing he
was no better off.
Mrs. Bowser had one more shot to
give him before they went to bed to
leave the hulging satchel on a chair in
the sitting room.
You haven't put in our reading
glasses, YOU know" she said, and
without them you would not be able to
read a newspaper. They are on the
mantel there"
He gave her a look intended to break
at least half the bones in her body.
n then put the glasses in the grip,
which by this time he had opened and
closed at least twenty times.
Ten minutes later he observed that
it was bedtime. He didn't want to get
an early start, and he wasn't afraid of
not getting as much sleep as usual, but
there was no need Of adding to the
wealth Of the gas company by sitting
up and looking at the walls. They
had got to bed, and Mrs. Bowser had
just been treated to his first snore,
when he suddenly sat up and called
out:
links and jingles, but did l pack
up any collars or didn't Il"
"Of course you did-eight of Them"
she replied.
Il don't think l did, and if | didn't /
shall be in a nice fix when | get to
Chicago. I'll just run downstairs and
see."
He stumbled downstairs through the
darkness, barking his shin on a rocking
chair and just saving his nose from an
open door, and, after lighting up the
gas, he found he collars all right and
returned to bed. This time he slept
until midnight. Then Mrs. BoWser
heard him utter a grunt as his feet
struck the floor.
What is it now?" she asked.
did l put in that bottle of collie
cure? You know l am apt to be taken
with collie while travelling"
NO, you didn't put it in. but I'll see
to it in the morning"
III see to it myself this very min
ute," he muttered, and down he went
on another visit to the grip. He felt
that he was now thoroughly equipped.
and he slept fairly we'll until 6 o'clock
in the morning, when he got out of
bed and began dressing.
Why, it's a whole hour too soon"
said Mrs. Bowser as she awoke.
Yes, l know that it's early, but
there may be a telegram for me, or
Skinner may want to see me before /
leave. You needn't get up till I
O'clock"
She did, though, and breakfast was
prepared and eaten, and during the
next two hours Mr.. Bowser divided his
time between giving her advice as to
how to act in case the house took fire
and opening and closing his grip. He
was finally off, and Mrs. Bowser and
the cat waved him adieu from the
front steps. An hour passed, and some
one was heard to unlock the front door.
1t was Mr.. Bowser, grip in hand, and
his face almost as white as -four.
Why, what on earth have you come
back for?" asked Mrs. Bowser in as
constituent.
He looked at her without replying.
What is it,"
Still no reply.
Have Won been stricken dumhP"