The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-05

shall. don't kick IL I prolong my stay
for months. I'd like to kill that blarx.
ed cid yaller cat before I 20. br.< IN
withhold my hand. Tdree Or for DAYS
hence l may write you a 1osta, card
teiiing where l an loested. I will now
PACK d Ie" 'Aings into a grip and take
my Departure"
AUd seem to me to be in a dread
I'd hurry"
Not at AL, but If separation must
come. then the sooner the better. Be
sides, / had such a poor dinner here
that / shall enjoy one at the boarding
house"
The only thing further said was
when Mr.. Bowser left the house and
bade her good night. He hadn't far to
go. After a walk of three blocks he
turned in at a boarding house he had
often passed and been favorably i'm
pressed with, and the landlady herself
answered his ring. He said he wanted
a room and board for a day or two,
but she replied:
IL take no guests except for a week.
Then I'll stay for a week." he an
swered, rejecting that he wanted to
give Mrs. Bowser a hard rub.
"And-and about the r~eferences?"
she asked when he had handed her S..
why, 1 am Mr.. Bowser."
Yes, but / never heard the name be-
fore. You can stop tonight, but tomor-
row l shall expect references from
some we'll known business man."
Mr.. Bowser asked to be shown his
room. A sable maiden, with a smoking
lamp, preceded him upstairs. He found
the room with less convenience and
|, comforts thar the one occupied by his
cool at home.
rs this a cattle car or what?" he
asked the sable maid after q glance
around.
Nobody nebber dun kicks around
dis yere house" she replied in a warn.
ing voice.
Then you must be running an idiot
asylum?"
He was sitting down and gazing
around when the landlady came up and
raped at the door. AS soon as it was
opened size crowded her way in and
said:
What were you saying to the cir,
about cattle cars? l suspected you
were q seeker when l first saw you,
and | f:&.st tel you that | permit moth
ing OF Ehe sort around here. Every
room ia iluxuriously furnished, and ev.
cry meal is equal to he best hotel IL
the rity. If you are not satisfied there
i nrn Gry1y hoo,1ipr hn,c.. mn 49,.
street. ] Ul"C"et2nl."
+" Id nothing to say, and 2ft2-
w@it-... =" 6 G.aUent the land}o%.:?
sU>I< Out Of the room. 1t was early
| III tie evening, but Mr.. Bowser had
nothing to DO. He had forgotten his
| c;c.Ts. an! the two temperance tracts
On Gm three legged bureau had no iR-
terr:t f:r l:H. T." simply sat and call
90 himself names fer al hour and then
WeDt to bed
He LAY Oh his back, listening to the
rain, when he suddenly felt himself at
| tackled by implacable enemies. In roll
ing out Of bed to defend his life oNa
| OF the rails. which had been broken ut
soslIe ancient period and wired togeth-
er, gave way and the whole bed came
down with n jar. A young man was
the first n to respond to the jar. He
left his room and Knocked Oh BowserFs
door land asked:
Got 'em, old man? If so, don't
show 'em any mercy"
Before Bowser could find words in
which to answer the young man the
iandlady knocked on the door in an ag-
gressive manner and called out:
Any sort Of athletic exercise Is for
hidden among the guests of the housed"
Then turn your bugs outdoors"
shouted Mr.. Bowser as he gave the
| mattress a kick.
Sir, are you aware Of what you are
saying:'
Il never felt so many"
Your case shall be attended to In
the morning, sir. l doubt not that you
came here to dodge the police. l shall
have an officer here the first thing ir
the morning. Meanwhile, if there is
any further language of the sort there
axe t1sose in the house who will pro-
tect me to the last"
Mr.. Buwser had no further language
He ook it out in kicking the mattress
and himself and thinking of his home
He finally raised the window to take a
look at the night and discovered the
roof Of q shed just below him. He
picked uR his grip. crawled forth and
ten minutes later unlocked his
front door.
Mrs. Bo~gSer, who had gone to bed,
heard him creeping softly upstairs, and
10 the goodness of her heart she be-
gan to snore and feign sleep. In the
morning not a word was said on her
part. Mr.. Bowser seemed to think
some sort of remark was about due,
and before leaving for the Office he
quietly said:
"Of curse ia like to keep the COWS
out, but if it is too much trouble to
watch the gate let it go. That is. you
know
And he actually kissed her goodby.
NJ. QUAD.