The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-16

of some n paving owe it. When it
had continued for a couple Of minutes
she went down the hall ard swung the
door wide open. With the aid of her ex-
tended hand Mr.. RowSer entered. In
spite of the fact that he was barehead-
ed and AL mussed up. that his coat
pockets were full of hay. that a porous
plaster had Been stuck ON the back Of
his overcoat and his patent leather
shoes painted over with white paint it
was Mr.. Bowser.
Come in and tell zee all about it,"
Iaid Mrs. Bowser as she hung up his
roat and led him along to the sitting
room.
He looked at her in an owlish sort Of
way for d minute. and then the tears
started in his eyes. When he could con-
troll his emotion lie said:
well, l got there. Everybody glad to
feller. Everybody slapped me on the
back and said, Hello, Bowser.'"
And of course you had a drink or
two"
Yes"
"And then the voting took placer"
yes"
"And when the votes were counted
up it was found that you had been de-
clared the mort popular member"
Eyes. But how did you hear of it?'
ooh, knew about how it would CO."
replied Mrs. Rowser, with a laugh.
We'll. YOU were elected. What hap
pened them"
"All the Old Jays took a drink at my
expense. Then the president of the club
congratulated me, and we had another
drink. Then they called on me for a
speech"
"And you remembered what I told
you, l hope?
mo. | didn't. l couldn't remember
nothing. I made a speech about Chris
topher Columbus crossing 'er Delaware,
and you just ought to have heard them
Old Jays clap and yell. Mrs. Bowser,
That speech was a cOrker. Best speech
1 ever delivered in my life"
His utterances were getting thick and
his neck becoming too timber to sup
port his head, and of a sudden the tears
came to his eyes again.
well, after the speech" queried
Mrs. Bowser.
Everybody whooped and yelled and
clapped their hands, and some of ZEN
didn't get over laughing for ten min
utes. I can tell you 1 felt proud, Mrs
Bowser-proud and glad that I was
Bowser. Had a drink. Had another
drink. Had three Or -four drinks. Their
the Old Jays jumped on to me-"
"How jumped on to your
'"They said [ was an old sport and {
good Teller, and they put me in a blan
ket and tossed me up to the ceiling
Yes, tossed me up over a thousand
times. It was awful, awful, awful
When they got tired Of that they sand
papered my bald head. Yes, Mrs. Bow
ser, they s~andpapered the head of you
loving husband and scratched matche
on it."
His tears flowed and his lip trembled
and it was a long minute before b
could go on.
Then they rolled me on a barrel
painted my shoes and poured san
down my back, and when they let II
go | was almost dead. | was all turne'
around and didn't know the way homo
and it's a wonder | ever got here
Wasn't it awful, Mish Bowsher-wasn'
it JUS awful?'
81 told you I was afraid they'd pla,
some game on you"
"Yesh. you told me, but | didn't be
lieve it. I believed you was jealous be
| was such a great man. | wa
wrong, and you was right. Will 70
forgive me, Mish Bowsher?"
There's nothing to forgive, but if
were you I'd resign from the OIL
Jays"
"You bet I will! Never again wi
'er Ole Jays make a jay Of me
Where's 'er cat"
what do you want Of herr"
"Wanter beg her pardon too. I te
you, Mish Bowsher-I tell you it wasn'
right. and you know it, and the ca
knows it, and the Old Jays know i
and
Il guess you'd better be getting
bed" said Mrs. Bowser as he sat blinl
ing at her with his sentence unfinished
"Yesh. Most popular or Jay bette
be gettin' to bed" he replied as he too
her arm and was assisted upstairs.
NJ. QUAD.