The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-05-07

Ed out between Tue plchctS JuoI oS AoS
man came along and halted to lean up
against a shade tree and inquire:
"Say, you, don't DR.. Gregg live on
this block?"
Never heard of him."
"He is a n eyed man."
"Never heard of him."
"He cures asthma"
"Never heard of him."
Looking For a Doctor.
"And I've had it for ten years and
want to be cured. I was told that he
lived along here somewheres."
"And I've told you about a hundred
times that I never heard Of him.
shouted Mr.. Bowser.
"Sir, if you knew what the asthma
was" persisted the man as he lurched
forward and caught the gate-'if you
had suffered for one night as l have
suffered for a thouSand-if"-
you old ~rhinoceros, but I'll have
vour life if you don't get away" was
Numbered in his ear. And the man
With the asthma lifted his painted
hands to heaven and wabbled his paint
ed knees and staggered away. Mrs.
Bowser had seen it all from the front
window, and she anne out and said:
Mr.. Bowser, that was one Of the
de;cOns Of my church, and l shall new
er dare attend service there again.
the fence
Not on your life. This is my job. If a
church deacon with the asthma doesn't
know any better han to grab hold Of a
painted gate let him try to rub off
what he gets. By the seven spotted
bulls. but can't a man take a day off
and paint his fence without all
this fuss? What in thunder do they
come along here fOr?'
Mrs. Bowser retired in as good order
as possible, and for the next half hour
Mr.. BOWser was permitted to work in
peace. Then d big dog came bounding
up the street in an eXuberant way.
stopping row and then to chase his
tail in q circle IN the joy Of living. The
painter painted on and dreamed of no
tragedy. When t2e dog sIneiled fresh
paint he investigated. He wanted to
know, you know, and he found out.
The smell reminded him Of the en-
balmed beef Of Spanish war days, and
he turned his side to the fence and
rubbed and rubbed and growled his
pleasure. He did not see the fat, red
faced and DaldIleaded man rise up on
the other side. lie did not see that fat
and so forth man en- the inside OF the
| fence Gather Up a stone flower vase n
pOisc it il the air. From a woman thirty
feet away came a scream, but the vase
descended. and the dog fed with bowls
Of DISNEY.
Sir, that is my dog" exclaimed the
woman as she drew nearer.
F'Durn his hide, but l wish / l:nd
mashed him fat" retorted Mr.. Row
ser.
"You are a cruel, bad man, sir. The
dog was simply playing with Your
fence"
And look at it! He has rubbed the
| paint off of three miles of pickets and
left enough hair to stuff a mattress. A
m that will lug q laundering big
| dog around the street must expect to
have him mashed"
Threatened to Report Him.
Il will report you to the police, Sir.
You have been guilty of cruelty to ami
mails"
"And I'll have your dog shot for a
~nuisance!"
The woman passed on, and Mrs.
Bowser came out with face as white as
snow and queried:
"Mr. Bowser, do you know who that
! woman is?'
mo. We didn't have anybody to in
trodrce Us. I'd like to talk to her hus-
band for about two minutes"
"It's the wife Of the minister of my
church,
"WeIl, has a minister's wife a right
to lug al old dog as big as a house
around the street,"
"She will never call Oh me again.
She'll tell all the ladies to keep away.
l can never step foot in the church
! again, Oh, Mr.. Bowser, why did you
90 it? Why won't you stop no" before
murder is done"
She went away With tears in her
eyes, and Mr.. Bdsf4&e took a moment
to think. Then he tE3s!RP his brush into
the street and the paint pot after it
ard entered the house. In ten minutes
he had changed his clothes a I'd was
out Oh the steps. Mrs. Bowser c@Echt
him there and asked: xa {
Are 0 going to the Office?" 80 !
IN reply he bestowed uDon her a
lon@. lingering lock of reproach, a look
of martyrGon, a look of L who
had suffered icn@ ana had reached the