The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-02-16

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peppery little man ID he danced around.
"You dare to come here and threaten
me? on my steps and out OF my yard,
you old guy. or I'll give you the boot"
MI. Bowser went. He knew that he
could chew the little man up In two
minutes, but he also realized that q
row SO near home would bring out
Mrs. Bowser and the cat He left the
yard and entered that Of the people on
the left. BE knew that their name was
Blunt, but he didn't know much else
about them. It was Mrs. Blunt who
answered his ring.
Madam, Is your husband homer"
was asked.
whats that to you" was the reply.
Il haven't come here to collect q bill,
and I am not q detective looking to
arrest him"
"And do you mean to Insult us?" she
demanded as she looked around for a
broomstick.
"By no means. I simply wanted to
ask your husband when he was going
to clean the snow of his sidewalk"
"Oh, I see. And is that any of your
business? Do you think that we are
Idiots or children that we can't attend
to u W affairs? II my husband
was home he'd give you a lift into the
street."
IF your husband was home I'd tell
him a thing or two" said Mr.. Bowser.
"The idea that
But the idea didn't pan out. The door
was slammed against his toes, and he
had to turn and descend the steps. He
knew the second house on his left to be
occupied by a family named Holt. The
husband was cross eyed and the wife
red headed, but Mr.. Bowser did not
take these things into consideration.
Mrs. BOwser and the cat appeared at
his wi door, and Mrs. Bowser called
to him that she smelled smoke in the
house and wanted him to come home
and look around for fire, but he waved
her away and proceeded to make his
third call. The man and his wife had
just been having a hot dispute as to
whether the earth was round or fiat.
and they both answered the door in
hopes that it was a tramp whom they
could kick.
"Well?" queried the Holt family as
MIR. BOwser entered the hall.
did you know that it had been
showing all day?" he asked in reply.
Certainly"
"And that there is a foot Of snow on
your walk"
"Sure, Mike"
"And that it is your duty under the
ordinance to clear it off,"
"Not by a burned sight! II our snow
bothers you clear it off yourself"
do you mean to say that you will
let it lie there for the next three or
four daysT
"We do. 1t can lie there for the next
three or four years."
"By thunder, but it won't!' excla1m-
ed Mr.. Bowser as he turned away.
"You either get out with your shovel
within fifteen minutes or I'll have you
hauled into court and smartly fined
He was told to go to that and where
nov melts as fast as it falls. and he
waded down the steps and out of the
yard. Mrs. Bowser made another eff
fort. She said she thought the gas me
ter was out OF order and all the water
pipes huste1 anu tnnt if he didn't at
tend to thugs right away there would
be an awful trHg,ly. but Mr.. Bowser
coUi.l't Ie turned from the path of
duty.
He was standing at his own gate and
drawing q long breath for another call
when the peppery little man and his
wife rushed out from one side and the
cross eyed man and his red headed wife
from the other. and at the same time
two men pedestrians came along. 1t
wasn't a conspiracy nor a put up job.
but all jumped on Mr.. Bowser at nee.
He fought gameiy, but he was over
powered. He was lifted up and driven
head first into a snOwdrift, and one of
the men seized the shovel and added
more snow. while the others packed it
down, 1t was ten minutes after they
disappeared before the buried man res
directed himself and entered his own
house.
"Well, what about the o%rdinance?'
asked Mrs. Bowser.
Not a word from yOu-not q single
world" be whispered as he pointed a
finger at her. Il see your fine Italian
hand in this. and l know my remedy.
Tomorrow morning. woman-tomorrOw
morning we consult u respective law
yers and you go home to your motherr."
NJ. QUAD.
His One Chance.