The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-14

~ AS 86AAS2s AA0k was AAE IVA
son he filled IL in with plaster, brick
bats. old cans. chunks Of wood and
shavings. Ii could be turned into n
m~enagerie IL tie buyer 50 elected. but
never into a garden. Farmer Bovser
worked away with right good will.
down his smnower and hollyhock
seeds had been committed TO the keep
ing Of old Mother Earth. A few cats
came walking along the top OF the
fence to be present on the suspicious
occasion. and now and then a hoodlum
going home through the alley threw a
beer bottle at the gardener. but things
went of without any riot Other
ground would be prepared for seeds
the next evening.
Il want to tell you" said Mr.. Bow
ser when all had been finished for the
night and he had laid the tools away
and lighted his cigar, that I am q bet
ter "a for what I have done this
evening. When | got of the car q man
stepped on my foot and called me q
behemoth instead Of apologizing. I
called him a liar and intended to 60
out after dinner and lick him. Yes, l
was going to pound him to a Jelly. but
the idea has fed far. far away. II he
should come along here now and ask
why I didn't use the back Of my
neck for my throat I'd only laugh at
him. The closer one gets to nature the
more he can forgive in his fellow men.
Why, II ten banana peddlers came
along here and each n stopped to
yell at the top Of his voice you wouldn't
see me get mad"
"If l should ask you for S. to get a
new pair Of shoes with, could you
spare it?" asked Mrs. Bowser.
why, Of course, my dear-of course
That is, I haven't got it right In my
p~ocketbook this minute, but the first
time 1 have it to spare you can count
or it. Do you remember one night
about two months ago when you call
ed up the subject Of my love letters to
you before we were marriedr
Yes"
"WelI, I got mad and denied that you
had a single one You said I called you
deary, ducky, angel, sweetness and all
that, and l answered that If I did !
must have been a fool"
"Well?"
SWELL, 1 want to beg your pardon. I
not only called you by all those names,
but probably gave you the idea that I
was the biggest jackass In America.
If you would take a club to me about
once a week I should be q better man"
The bats came out and buzzed
around, the evening grew old, and aft
er reading up on sunf1owers and holly
hooks Mr.. Bowser was ready for bed.
His garden, as he saw from q back
window, was lying fertile and un-
touched in the bright moonlight, and
such a softness stole Owe him that he
picked up the cat and begged her par
don If he had ever called her yaller
eyed and plotted against her life. He
talked agriculture for half an hour and
then fell asleep, and Mrs. Bowser soon
followed, thankful that nothing in the
way Of a calamity had happened. Two
uOu2o 1dtC1 ~ L1ok ShO va
in South Africa and hearing the roa
of a lion, and the dream was 80 VIVID
that it awoke her. No sooner were her
eyes open than she found the roar to
be real.
It was Mr.. Bowser roaring from q
back window. She ran through to him
just as he had heaved the water pitch
er after the washbowl. Down on the
earth beneath the window were six or
eight dogs that had come In through
the alley gate. They had raked and
scratched and rolled. and his garden
and sunfowers and hollyhocks were no
more.
Woman" he said as he found her
beside him, behold your work."
My work? Why, what have I got
to do with it%"
Spite. envy. Jealousy! see your
fine Italian hand at every turn. 1
wanted a garden; you didn't. You
have defeated me, but-but"-
And then he rushed downstairs and
out into the yard, and, Selling a clothes
pole, he did his best to slay and to
slaughter. Under the full moon, with
the earthly smell rising to heaven and
the crickets chirping their notes Of
gladness, be jumped up and down and
that nothing short of blood
would satisfy his longings for revenge.
NJ. QUAD.