Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-05

brought 10 the grave every winter
! through wearing furs. and don't
want TO lose YOU"
1t can't be new CLOAK. because
you don't know my size
Il saw n neel of new cloak. as
the one you have l. only three years
old Guess again"
"You-you wouldn't buy me a new
dress:''
He gave me a loving smile and then
stood mp and made 4 great ADO over
opening the bundle. I heard the cat
chuckling TO himself. but dared not
look around When the paper fell of
I saw number OF bright colored gar
ments. but before | could draw my
breath Mr.. Bowser was holding up q
lady's jacket belonging TO a suit II
was of red velvet and trimmed with
gold braid and gilt buttons. and moth
ing could have been more gorgeous.
What do you think of ir?'' he asked
as his smile grew blander.
IL Where did you get it,
He reached down and picked up the
skirt to it, That was even more gor-
geous. as it had more gold braid on it.
Isn't it a daisy?' asked Mr.. Bow
ser.
But they are secondhand! And
where did you get themT'
He reached down and brought up
the hat to match. 1t was big red
hat with a long RED plume and a red
- N%D.s # "a 1T ln
whole thing was a masquerade cos
tune for girl of seventeen. Such a
costume could not have been worn
even in a ballet sat like one turned
to stone. I'd have given my right
hand if Mr.. Bowser hadn't done it.
"Well, why don't you whoop and
rave?" he asked as he turned the hat
round and round.
l said it was awfully kind of him.
and then l was foolish enough to break
down and begin to cry. Some women
might have carried it off better. but it
was not for me. If my life had de-
pended on it could not have kept the
tears back. For minute he thought
was weeping for joy, and he patted
me on the back and said nothing was
too good for me. Then he happened to
see the cat grinning, and he got sus-
picious.
well, let's hear from you," he said.
How came you to get them?' / final
ly asked.
why, was going by secondhand
store and saw them displayed at bar
gain figure / asked the woman about
it. and she said you would look like q
girl in these things. Could you have
done better yourself?"
1t was a hard thing to go through,
Bowser that he had been shamefully
taken in and done for: that the colorS
did not become me and nothing fitted
within a mile and that moths were al
ready eating at the skirts of the dress
and a mouse had nibbled off the end of
the red plume. He didn't say word
for three minutes. / didn't dare look
at him or draw my breath during the
interval Then he uttered a wild yell
and jumped up and down. Then there
was a ripping and tearing and stamp
ing, and the air was full of fragments
l looked up at him, but he had finished
and stood painting.
There they arer' he exclaimed. point
ing TO the strips and tatters. 1t was
for your birthday. | wanted to please
you. | poured out my money like wa
ter. l have made jackass of myself,
but never again, Mrs. Bowser-never
again! You can take your old birth
days and 90 TO the pot with them"
He was down at the halltree and into
his overcoat and hat before / could find
words TO reply. Then the door banged,
and he was gone. l had hurt his feel
ings, and / felt sorry for him. / put
on my things and set out on his trail.
1t was a wild evening, with a gale
blowing. l called at the drug store. the
butcher shop and the plumbers, but
they could give me no trace of Mr..
Bowser l made inquiries of pedes-
| trians. but only one could tell me any
| thing. He was a cross eyed man with
a limp in his left leg, and, after think
| ing the matter over he replied:
Eyes, met a fat, sawed off man
within two blocks of the river, and he
was humping along and talking about
| gold braid and red plumes and I'M
| grateful wives. If he was your huS-
band, madam, you are wilder this
blessed mint or III eat my hat"
1t is two days and two nights now.
The hours drag slowly away, and |
cannot look out of the window for nv
tears. Should any one meet Mr.. Bow
ser as he wanders up and down the
streets like a lost soul or sits bumped
up on log out in the country and can
not believe life worth the living, please
tell him that there is one waiting for
| him and that her name is
SARAH BOWSER,
Wife Of Mr. BOwSer.
Per NJ. Quad