The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-11-17

the eyes Of his mother-in-law. Her last
letter. received only a week previous.
said that she was laid up with spraln
Ell ankle and had no hope of gettin.
out of the house for a month
Custed by Mother-in-law.
Mr.. Bowser gasped and turned pale
as he was led out Of the room to the
head of the stairs.
Nov, go down SOFTLY" continued the
mother-in-law. land you make mighty
little noise down there. I'll have an
interview with you in about ten min
utes."
who who asked you to como
DOWN." he demanded as he pulled HIM
self together and came to halt.
go right along, Samuel. don't
have to wait for an invitation. l come
when pleasev'
Mr.. Bowser went down to dinner, but
he had no appetite. His house had been
invaded and his happy plans broken
up. The cook brought in his tea, and
he turned ON her with:
Look here, Nancy, why did you let
that old woman in?"
LET her in. Why, no sooner had
busted her way in and pushed me
aside as If was chip. And who be
you that makes so free with other peo-
pies housesT says l.
"'Shet your head and tend to your
businessv says she.
"I'll call the master
"'I'll call him myself. hear that
bullfrog voice of his upstairs
Gave Him = Good Talking To.
That's the way it went, Mr. Bowser,
and the next thing l saw she had you
by the ear on the stairs and was talk
ing to you as If you was a kid ten
years old. It's the mother-in-law, /
s'poseY'
"Yes-hang it!'
Il can't blame you for taking the
name of the Lord in vain, and pities
you from the bottom of me heart. II
was you, SIR
But there was no time to finish. The
mother-in-law appeared. and Nancy
fed to the kitchen.
Nov, then, Samuel, you hustle along
with your dinner and be ready to go to
the drug store. l did have a sprained
ankle. but when l got to figuring that
it was about time for you to break out
again got well and came down. You
are not tickled to death to see me, but
that makes no difference. 1t won't do
you any good to sit there and scowl
like bear with q sore paw. You have
got to toe the mark while I'm around"
woman, don't talk that way to me"
he shouted.
stop right there, Samuel. Don't you
shout and call me woman"
But this is my house."
THAT doesn't make the slightest diff
ference. A mOther-in-law can go and
come as she pleaseS. l want some mus
tard and ginger from the drug store
and if you slam the door when you go
out you'll find me at your heels"
Planned a Rebellion.
Mr.. Bowser showed back from the ia
BILE, with a CLINT IN his eye, and two
minutes later he was out of the house.
He got the ginger and mustard and
sent them back by small boy, and
then he started off for walk. He had
determined to assert his independence
of that woman. He would either re-
turn and bluff her out of her shoes or
remain away Tor a week.
Men who saw him walking along
with his head down said to themselves:
poor old baldhead! He is mourning
for his lost hair"
his feet as he walked whispered to
each other:
His home Is not happy one"
The hoodlums running up and down
drew aside as Mr.. Bowser passed and
felt in their hearts that he was a man
needing consolation. He had walked
for an hour when an arm was passed
through his and voice said in his ear:
II have been looking for you, Samuel.
Come along. Didn't tell you that you
must toe the mark?"
Mr.. Bowser looked at a policeman
appealingly, but the officer refused to
interfere. He thought for a moment of
wrenching himself free and fleeing far
away-far away as Canada-but the
clutch on his arm frightened, and the
voice said:
Don't try it, Samuel-not on your
lifew Nj. QUAD.
Spiteful.