The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-20

failures and disappointments he has
finally struck it. That's what brought
him over to see me-
But he didn't come over from France
especially to see you, did he?" asked
| Mrs. Bowser.
Certainly. He came straight to the
| office from the steamer. He came to see
| Bowser first of all. He would have
waited all day for me to come in. Mrs
Bowser, / want you to know that your
husband is just as we'll known in Eu-
| rope, Asia and Africa as in America
| The count had a scheme to lay before
me, and being a business man, he didn't
waste any time. Do you know the value
| of the French wines made every year q
Il have no idea"
over three hundred million dollars,
my dear. Two-thirds of them are made
| of grapes but the other one-thlrd OF
something else. The profit on them Is
enormous There is no earthly reason
why French wines can't be made right
here in our own city. All you have to
do is to mix up the stuff and put
French label on the bottle The count
came ever to propose business partner
ship, and 1 am going in with him.
'Scuse me a minute, dear"
He stepped out into the hall, and
this time there was no mistake about
the gurgle. There was a glad light in
scratch his head and look up at the
ceiling before he could remember
where he left off and continued:
Enormous profits. Mrs. Bowser-
enormous. Five bushels of the Amer
lean huckleberry, together with one
wood and ten barrels of water makes
$4,000 worth of the best French
wines. Clear profit-S45,000 Any
gold mine to beat that? Pat your
husband on the back and call him
bully boy. I attend to tn huckleberry
part and the count to the rest. 1 adj
vertise in the morning paper for ten
thousand bushels of huck-huck-
There was no longer room to doubt
Mr.. Bowser's condition. He was snil-
ing feebly and looking up at the cell
ing, and he seemed to have come to
the end of his story. Mrs. Bowser
passed around behind him and took a
pint bottle of some lark liquid from
his breast pocket There were but a
few sips left in the bottle. The gurg-
ling noise was explained.
What dc you call this?" she asked.
Zhat? THAT'S our huck-huckle-
berry wine. Count had a bottle of it
all ready made for me- Mrsh.
BOwsher. zhe profits are enormous"
do you know that you are intoxi-
Gated ?"
ME 'toxicated-ha! ha. ha! Good
shoke. It's just 'er logwood making
me feel good. Five bushels of Amer
lean huckleberries ten barrels of-of
matter. Zhe profits are simply gil
gantic. Don't even have to use 'er
best kind of logwood. Any old sort of
logwood will do. 'Er count shays That
my half 'er profits will amount to-
to-
Mr. Bowser. you must go to bed"
she said as his head fell forward on
his breast. 81 wouldn't have the cook
see you in this condition for any
thing
Cook? Shee me? Condishun?
Whaz you mean. Mrsh. Bowsher?
Can't take five bushels of buck
huckleberries. and ten bar'Is of wa
water and--?"
Then he slid out of his chair under
the reading table and knew no more.
French counts-huckleber
wood and alcohol were no more to
him. The profits had been enormous
and he had made his millions. 1t was
d warm night and Mrs. Bowser Slip
ped a sofa pillow under his head and
turned out the gas and went up stairs
to bed and left him by his lonesome.
1907, by Momer