The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-10

show of the Irvine and the needles,
and presently threaded the latter and
sat down and pulled off his shoe and
sock. The latter had a hole about as
| big as a dime in the heel. The hole
had not worn there. but had been
made as the sock was pulled on.
If you want that sock darned
hand 1T to me-" said Mrs. Bowser as
she reached for it How you could
get hole like that in a new sock puz-
zles me. 1 paid fifty cents a pair for
Them
! II won't trouble you," was the re-
! ply. Il was told years ago that the
time would come when I'd have to
darn my own socks, and now it is
here"
But you aren't going to darn them
with red string, are you?"
| Anything is good enough for me- I
can go around all day in perfect agony
and what IS it to you. Yes 1 am going
to darn them with this red Irvine, and if
l fall dead tomorrow and am taken to
the morgue the keeper will see what a
wife had and how I must have suf-
| fered."
He thereupon began darning the same
as If mending a f1shnet, and after ten
minutes work he had a wudgel that
would have rubbed the heel off an OK.
He held the sock up to view and turned
1t around and viewed it from all sides,
and then with a sigh laid it aside and
produced loose pants button from his
pocket. One of his suSpender buttons
had snapped off and he was going to re-
place it.
Just let that alone till you go to bed
and 1 will sew it on in jiffy." said Mrs.
Bowser. You didn't say anything about
a loose button this morning or it would
have been fixed then"
When one has talked and talked for,
twenty years what's the use of talking
any more? The button has been loose
1or months and months and / have been
waiting TO see If you would notice it,
Today, as I bent over in the street car
10 pick up cent dropped by a lady, off
went the button. Two working girls tit
tered about it, and heard one of them
say that the old man was coming all to
pieces. L tell you this. but of course you
can't understand my humiliation. 1t is
a SAD, sad house, but I must put up with
things until Providence seems fit to re-
move me-
Mrs Bowser had to get up and go
down the hall to do her laughing and
meanT lille he was busy with the button.
AFTER the darning needle had drawn the
tw1ne through the eyes once all the room
was taken up, but he cut off the Irvine
and called it job. He then p1Illed off
the other shoe and looked at the other
sock There was no hole in 1t. but he
made one and sighed heavily as another
Wudgel made its appearance. When lie
had dressed his feet again he went off
NPSeoAS anu OTOuSnl down MS night
shirt and button that had come loose
from his winter overeSat
What's wrong with that shirt?'' ask
ed Mrs. Bowser.
Button off, of course" was the re-
ply. It's been off for the past four
weeks. and that is what brought this
case of bronchitis on me. 1 haven't
said anything because it's no use."
Look here. now. but when that
shirt came home from the laundry
three days ago the buttons were all
there and all tight. I looked them
over, as I always do. When you took
the skirt off you gave 1t a pull and sent
the button flying. 1t must have been
the one found on the floor yester-
day."
Mr.. Bowser sighed and drew his