The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-21

l WI. DONcEI kafC AlC DdGho vi Liz D1l
lures a rub or two, swept up the door,
set up the bedstead anew and I'm thirty
minutes from the beginning was look
ing around saying to himself:
'"Tkere-Pve got this room all done.
It'll be cooler and healthier with the
carpet up, and SO / won't mind that.
-Four days to clean house! I wonder
thinking of"
There were three bedrooms upstairs,
and an hour and a half finished them.
In taking down the curtains from tne|
windows Of the last oom Mr.. Bowser
and the stepladder went over in COM
pany. and he was sitting up and rub
bling the back of his head and seeing
stars when the cook came running up
to ask:
will yez give me n minutes
warming before I'm to be scattered to
all eterniyF
"Nobody's going to eternity" he re
piled as he tried to smile.
Then what was nat crash, like a
Thousand oxen falling off a haystack!
How many times, may l ask, can yez
fall like that and not bring the house
down wild yez?"
Didn't l tell you not to mind a few
Icrashes!" botly replied Mr.. Bowser.
I'm running this thing, and If you get
hurt I'm good to pay all damages. Get
down to your work"
Cooky reluctantly descended the
stairs, and five minutes later the light
ming house cleaner descended to the
lparlor. There was a grin of anticipa-
ton on his face as he looked around
him. Here was real house cleaning
and no make believe. All the damage
The had done upstairs was to break a
pane Of glass, knock the corner of a
Ipicture frame a lose two casters
from the dresser, but here!
He began on the front parlor. Down
came the curtains and portieres, the
chairs and sofa went a-skittering, the
pictures came off the walls with q
whew, and before his back could begin
to ache all the rugs were out Of the
back window. 1t was truly a lightning
transformation scene. He had called
for a feather ruster n a dust rag
and after devoting five minutes to res
he mounted the s%tepladder and begaT
to dust. He wanted to leave nothing
flor Mrs. Bowser's critical eye to fine
fault with. He had famed along the
Iceiling a few feet with the buster whel
The o~verbalanced himself as be reached
He knew he was going, but he wa
helpless, except to yell. He uttered
one shriek-a shrek that lifted cook,
below him a foo high as b ironet
away-and then there came the o
of q thunderous crash.
"Tell me, is it slaughtered ye are?
demanded Jane from the foot OF tn
stairs.
No answer.
"Is the missus to come home an
find yez dead and buried?"
Not a leaf stirred.
Mrs. Bowser had been at he hurc
> for about two hours when a lady Twin
-. in the neighborhood Of her house a
!, rived to say:
l $50 you've got Mr.. Bowser at th
:. house cleaning, have your
:. "BlesS you, nOp
But just as I left my house he We
l finging rugs and things out of tt
Z window. Perhaps he's moving
l Mrs. Bowser started for home
t once with a great fear in her hear
and she was still half a block ava
when she saw the cook at the gate.
t Its lynn q crushed strawberry he |
Il num-" was James greeting. Don
s. lay it to me. for | did my best to max
d him behave himself"
How did it happen"
lie comes home as soon as ye
:. leaves and starts in to play thund'
u and lightning with the house cleanin
I, There was one crash that only brol
} his back and sivin ribs. but whin II
q next one came he didn't have time
Il say goodby to you"
Mr.. Bovser smelled camphor al
~ opened his eyes. An hour had passe
Mrs. Bowser, the cook, the cat and Il
IL family doctor were gathered arogl1
- him.
> He livesr' said the cook, as she sa
his eyes open.
-, lie is cONlluS W. whispered WI
lBowser.
"Of course" added the doctor. 1T
IL only way to kill Il jackass is to let t
|" whole range of Catskill mountains f;
. on him at once"
Then Mr.. Bowser closed his ey
III again and seemed to sleep, but dov
in his heart he knew that he wou
" demand and secure a terrible reven
d before morning dawned again.
le NJ. QUAD
II She Knew Him.