The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-15

him for 81 to buy stockings and got 1T.
The other evening Mr.. Bowser came
home with a headache and forgot his
sunflower until twilight had begun to
gamer. Then he walked out to see what
changes a day had brought forth. There
had been a thunderstorm during the
day. and during its prevalence he had
been somewhat worried for fear that
a thunderbolt might go astray and
damage his pet Shifting the air for
odor of birthstone he sauntered to the
back door of the yard. and moment
later was struck SO helpless that he had
to lean up against the alley fence. His
sunflower was gone. He rubbed his
eyes and looked again and again, but
! it had vanished. and only hole in the
ground remained. Not a leaf-not a
fragment of stalk-was scattered on the
grass to give a clue to the mystery
| What on earth ails your" asked Mrs.
Bowser, as Mr. Bowser stood before her
few minutes later with pale face and
Quivering chin.
"G-one! he stammered in reply.
What do you nean?"
MY sunf1oweri It's gonel 1t was
there this morning. but some one has
pulled it up during the day..
Are YOU sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Have 1 got so
blind that I can't see sunfiowers a foot
from my nose? Woman. what sort of
a bloody-minded conspiracy is this?"
There is no conspiracy about it.
was down town this afternoon. and
while the cook was busy 1 suppose that
some of those hoodlum boys came
through the alley gate and rooted up
your sunflower. I'm sorry it's gone,
but don't talk nonsense"
"Nonsenser' he shouted, as his white
face suddenly turned a bright red. do
You call 1t nonsense that my sunf1ower
has been rooted up and carried off-the
flower that I've watched and tended
and loved all these long weeks? You
were down town. were you, instead of
| hOv, 70, f1o<~
And the cook-the cook was too busy
to notice the back yard full of bows,
who might have carried off the fences
for all of her. BY the great horn spoon.
And he choked and gasped and flung
his arms about and was too overcome
to 6nish.
1T may possibly be lying in the al
tones, and if so you can replant and
save it. Sunfiowers are very hardy, you
know
Lying in the alleyi Lying crushed
and broken and dead in the alleyl
The flower of my youth-of my early
manhood-of my first lovei By thun-
der, woman, somebody has got to suf-
fer for this. I'll have revenge If 1t
takes thousand years"
''I'll go out with you and look in the
alley'''
Don't trouble yourself The deed
is done, and you are to blame Cor 1t.
mains to find and punish the murderers.
am going to look for them
But where will you look? If you
will light the lantern I'll go with
you
IT need no lantern to find the trail.
and while I am following it up you
can sit here and gurgle and grin and
smile over the success of your conspir-
acy. When you get tired of grinning
and gurgling and smiling you can go to
bed
Mr. Bowser put on his hat and
| stalked forth into the night and the
alley, and at ten o'clock he had not
been heard of. The clock struck IL
and still no word. Then the hour of
midnight doomed. and he was still
| absent. 1t was o'clock in the morning
| when Mrs. Bowser routed out the cook
and had her take to the nearest po-
lice station a message reading:
IF any policeman finds a man walk
ing up and down alleys and talking of
| conspiracies and sunf1owers and early
| loves don't lock him up for a lunatic
| It is only Mr.. Bowser searching for his
| strayed or stolen sunfiower, and he Will
be all right as soon as he knows
| that bunch of catnip has been discov-
| cred in corner of his back yard
Copyright. 1903. by c. B. Lewis.)