The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1907-10-09

JAIL StcAAAS anu lluO lHdi YOU uuu
uprooted that ho'!,..hock I o spite ne it's
doubtful if | could control myself. l
wouidn't II" il if / we're you"
Then Mrs. Bowser and the cook be-
came alarmed. They watched against
cats and dogs and boys and tramps.
They did not dare to approach the pre-
cious flower within ten feet. Tired as
she might Ike. the cook would get up at
midnight and look out of her window
to see that no tomcat was climbing
the stalk or no dog digging at the
roots under the idea that a rabbit was
lurking there. There were times when
Mrs. Bowser wanted to go shopping,
but fear kept her at home and made
her miss bargaining.
The day came at last when even a
street gamin could have made no mis-
take and called that hollyhock a fence
post. It grew up and waved in the
breeze. and one pink flower came out.
1t wouldn't have amounted to shucks
in a farmers front yard, but in Mr..
Bowers back garden It was different.
He had conquered the soil and the rain
and the snow and ice and caused some
thing to grow. 1t was something that
reminded him Of his boyhood days. It
was something to soften his heart to-
ward his fellow men. The butcher
was brought yer to look at It, and he
pronounced 1t a winner. The plumber
was coaxed into the back yard and
shown the flower all Of a sudden, and
he was agreeably startled. Mr.. Bow
ser Dragged of it at the drug store,
and the druggist had no cynical re-
marks to make. Only M man showed
disregard for the feelings of the owner
Of the h%ollyhock and thereby won his
eternal enmie.,. Strangely enough. It
was the minister Of Mrs. Bowser's
church. Mr.. Bowser came home and
found him seated In the parlor and at
once invited him out to see the sacred
treasure.
"ls it simply a hollyhock 2" asked the
good man.
"lt's only a hollyhock, but l grew it.
you Know"
Begged to 30 Excused.
Eyes. If it's only a hollyhock l will
ask to be excused. as l must attend a
meeting for the benefit Of the heath
en-"
That was enough. The iron entered
Mr.. Bowser's soil. The idea that a
man thought more of the heather than
of his hOllyhock smote him to the
quick, and not another of his nickels
should enter the contribution box of
his church. He told Mrs. Bowser in
plain language what he thought Of
such Il man and would have made a
quarrel had she not been polite enough
to preserve silence.
At length the day came-the fatal
day. Mr.. Bowser had come home at
noon Saturday to take half a day of.
He wasn't going a-fshing or strolling.
After lunch he took a chair and an
umbrella and seated himself in the
back yard to observe and visit with
his hollyhock. He wanted to see it
grow with his own eyes. He wanted
1t to understand that, although it stood
alone and Mrs. BoWser and the cook
were down on 1t, 1t had a friend in
him. He had been sitting there for al
AoNA oiIN1C IIS oNCL llC uIlSulN uAllO
iwork of nature when there was a
row down the alley. Ont on the street
a big dog without any grit. but plenty
Of bluff, had threatened a little dog
with lots Of sand. The little dog had
pitched in. and the big dog had run.
He turned into the alley, and as he
came to the half open gate he turned
into Bowser's back yard. He was look
ing for a hacker.
Mr.. Bowser rose up and yelled, cit
out!'
The big dog understood him to say
"Come on"
Next minute the man and the big
dog and the little dog were mixed up
in a three cornered fight. Mr., Bowser
started for a prop, but staggered and
fell. and as he went down he crashed
against the fence and the hollyhock.
and the deed was done. He got up and
jumped up and down and used Ian
guage. He leaned against the fence
and saw red. He struck one Of the
clothesline posts a mighty whack
with the prop and yelled out as the
splinters few, but his summer dream
was over. and Bowser & Hollyhock
had permanently dissolved partner
ship. NJ. QUAD.
Hobo Paradise.