The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-21

ideas to be worked out and new ones
TO grapple with. There is responsible
lty resting on every persons shoulders,
and yet you can sit there and chatter
to me of an old woman and a dog
fght!'
| Mrs. Bowser was squelched for 10
| minutes. She had seen the time when
Mr.. Bowser would have asked the col
or of each dog-which foot the old
woman was bitten on-which dog got
the best of it. and all other particu-
lars, but he had changed. He was an
other Bowser now. She looked at
him and tried to puzzle 1t out, and
, finally mustered up the courage to
say:
81 gave a tramp one of your old
vests today"
"Humph! You gave a tramp one of
my old vests? And because you did
so the astronomer, the philosopher and
the statesman must stand still for a
week! What senseless thing when
Not another word from her until
dinner was finished and they had
reached the sitting room. Mr.. Bow
ser's dignity worried her. She felt
as small as bug in the shadow of a
giant oak. She had NOR news for
him. One Of the water pipes in the
cellar had burst and she and the cook
had driven pine plug into the hole
The wheel of peddler's wagon had
come off and dumped him into the
| street. A boy had stoned the Bowser
| cat and a policeman had arrested a
one armed man for trying to steal a
| city ash cart. She had saved all these
| things up to tell him but she must
| thaw him out first. She started to by
| saying:
Mrs. Green was over today, and
we had quite dispute. She says that
a cricket is grasshopper, and I say
| it isn't. told her that 1 was going to
ask you
| Mr.. Bowser, who was sitting and
smoking and thinking the greatest of
thoughts, turned and gave her one
awful look. Then he got up and went
down the hall and put on overcoat and
hat and left the house.
A tramp accosted him at the gate,
but he neither saw nor heard him.
He encountered an old woman who
said that she had five hungry children
at home, but he passed he~ as if she
had been lump of ice.
On the corner he saw his coal man,
waiting for his car, and he said:
"BoWser, we shall have a blizzard
within a week. and you'd better let
me send you down two tons Of coal
tomorrow
Mr. Bowser looked across the street
at the Chinese laundry and made no
reply.
.'The weather man says TIERS big
storm gathering in the West
No reply.
"Shall 1 send the coal?"
''You may go to thunder!" exclaimed
the coal man as he walked out to his
car.
Mr.. Bowser entered his family drug
store. He bowed stiffly to the drug
gist and walked around with folded
arms
us it soothing syrup this time?''
asked the druggist with a laugh.
f"Sir!" said Mr.. Bowser. as he turn
ed, your name is Agnew. I believer"
"Oh, yes"
"And my name, sir, is Bowser-
Samuel Bowser. Whenever Mr.. Sam
uel Bowser wants anything of Mr..
Agnew, he will let him know
"Say, you've got a tapeworm, and
I'll bet on it!' shouted the man of
drugs, but Mr.. Bowser walked stiffly
out without answer.
Three minutes later his family
butcher was bit surprised to see him
in the door. He wanted to make
things pleasant, and he called out:
Hello, Bowser-any chicken farm
on your mind for next SPRING.
Mr. Bowser folded his arms and
sternly regarded him.
Anything wrong, old MANI"
"Sir, I am not used to such Ian
guage. Do not repeat it. If you DO
not know already, then let me tell you
| that I am Mr.. Bowser
"Of course Any order to leave for
tomorrow
"No order, sir-no order. I may
never leave an order. am not in the
habit of leaving orders at butcher
| shops, sir!''
"By George!" gasped the butcher
when he was alone. ''I thought he
was Bowser, and he said he was Bow
ser, but I'll be hanged if don't be-
lieve it is somebody else!"
Mr.. Bowser went home. He carried
his dignity with him. 1t passed
through the gate and up the steps
with him and then it deserted him in
a flash. There was a bit of ice. His
foot struck it, and after jump and
a sprawl he went rolling down the
steps and brought up in snow bank.
He let out three awful yells as he
found himself going and they brought
Mrs. Bowser to the door. She saw
in an instant what had happened and
she ran down the steps and bent over
the huddled figure and exclaimed:
THANK heaven, his dignity is gone!
No man can tumble down his own
front steps and hang on to It'll
| Copyrighted 1911 by Associated Liter
airy Press.)