The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-09

.snoon, and this is oIe OF the stray
pieces. Were you going over as far as
the drug store this EVENING""
Never you mind whether | am or
not. There are certain things that have
got to be settled, and you needn't try
TO saeak GU Of them. l give you the
cash to run this house, and yet a day
or W ago | saw a grocery bill lying
around calling for $3.50. Explain that"
Its right there on the fnanteI now.
You will see that it is made out to
Town and left here by mistake"
Dir. BOwser was caught again. but,
drawing Il long breath. he continued:
Il am told by Brown and Green and
Jones mat their wives get help in the
kitchen at SIS per month. while you
have been paying $50 right along. Is
it that you don't care how soon we
bring up in the poorhouse?"
Are you sure that the women you
spoke of pay only SIS per month";
asked Mrs. Bowser.
Only SIS"
We'll, 1 haven't paid but SIC for the
last three years. and l have had ever
better girls than they havep'
5ir. Bowser turned pale and clinched
his fingers, and it was half a minute
before he said in husky tones:
Everybody around here quit taking
ice daily a full month ago, but in your
desire to make the house cost as much
as possible you
ln.1- %I~a a. xI-11 A;o4~ -~11- -
she finished. Il made the change the
LIST of October"
But during the summer the ieeman
has beaten you out of at least 1000
pounds of ice, and you have supinely
submitted to be robbed"
"He has weighed the ice every morn
ing this summer, and on many occa-
sions he has given me three or four
pounds over. Anything else, Mr.. Bow
ser?"
There was, but it took him three Or
four minutes to think it up. Then he
said:
Two months ago l attended a bar
gain sale and bought me four pairs Of
suspenders. This morning I wanted to
put o1 OiIC VI lA4S Hc" pam. dlIu L
hunted all through the house and could
not find hide or hair Of them. I said
nothing at the breakfast table, but now
I demand an exclamation. Did you
send those susD"EGers TO your brother
Dan Or sell tt"m to some juuEman"
IF you ". 90 upstairs yoI will fnG
them just 49," ToI Pat item. They
are hanging ~ u Aoul liz your closet
under 4 coat"
There WIS oue mo"e ting. Mr.. Bow
ser had been @>,t.n- Il for a SOAR
,plexus blow.
Come here" lie sad as lie advanced
to one OF the beck wiEGows and pulled
aside the curtain.
well, what is it,"
"That-alley-Eate. It's down"
eyes, it's lying fat"
"And you went out and Jumped on
it and tore it down to make me cost!
Don't deny it, woman! I have caught
you red handed"
1.-Two months ago." explained Mrs.
Bowser, you found the top hinge bro
ken. / wanted to get q man to fix it at
once, but you said the Job was to be
left for you. The gate has been yawn-
ing and sagging eve since, and the
high wind of this forenoon finally blew
it down. Shall we sit down now and
have a game Of cards?"
MI. Bowser stalked down the hall to
the hatrack and put on his overcoat
and hat, and when he went out into
the night he was gritting his teeth. He
had lost his case, and he was ready to
make somebody sweat for it. He lean
ed over the gate and looked up and
down, and after a moment he espied
the fat grocer delivering a late order.
Then Mrs. Bowser heard a whoop and
a yell, a Gathering of heels on the icy
sidewalk, and she sat down and drew
a long breath of relief. 1t was the
windup, and next morning MI. Bowser
would be all right again.
NJ. QUAD.