The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-04

And yet you go and buy a new one!
That axe cost at least dollar and 1
needed the money for stockingsr'
Mrs. Bowser. if worst came to worst
a few days, but if worst came to worst
with me We wouldn't have a dollar
coming in
What do you mean by that?'
Haven't you noticed =. for the last
week that could hardly raise my hanu
to my mouth at table?''
mo, sir, I haven't noticed any such
thing! Got some new ailment, 1 sup
pose?"
IF a wife has a pain in her little toe
she expects her husband to condole
with her, but a husband may have one
foot in the grave and what words of
sympathy does he get?"
Both your feet are a long ways
from the grave yet, but if you think
you need the exercise, why, go and
chop
"Of course, I need it. and it so hap
pens that I didn't buy this axe"
Then who did?"
There is man named Tinker lives
few blocks below u.s. explained Mr.
Bowser. He owns two or three va
cant lots and on one of them is an old
dead tree. He's a one-armed man and
can't cut it down."
And you are kindly eoine n do il
for him.
Yes. shall tackle that old dead tree
and half an hour from now that neigh
borhood will be ringing with the merry
sounds of the merry woodman's axe
haven't chopped down a tree since T
was a boy"
II you are awkward with the axe
VINO said I was awkward with the
axe! Ii there's man within five miles
OF US who can handle an axe better
than / can I'd like to see him.
very dangerous thing"
Yes. it was so dangerous that he used
&c, SIT by the fire and let somebody else
NEW well .,d dent t blame me if anything hap
pens. sig5ed Mrs Bowser 'T,ll get the
there is any life left when they bring YOU
o foo VII s try and md save na h If you cut
other in its PLACE, but you've limped SO
m Me- thai it will ills 5s no novelty to your
then shouldered Ids ak, puckered his
mouth and went away whistlng. AS
matter ter Of fact he had never handled an
AK for five minutes in his life bu+ ne
had once seen a farmer hoeine corn and
had once seen a tnres4lng machine at
reached the tree he divested himself of
his waist and gleefullv exclaimed:
.Woodsman. to work. to work, and the
the merry, ring of the bounding ak! Here
he squared on. uttered Hal and
made his first stroke. He rather expected
to see the ak sink to the eye in the wood
but 1t didn't do it He was so far away
tnat he just grazed the trunk, and the
ak kept on and sunk in the earth at the
roots; As he had good grip on the
knees by the force of the blow, and his
head came into collision with the tree
He saw suns and moons and stars for
rubbed his eyes and looked in the direc-
ton of the house Mrs. BowSer was not
fn he he emf aT11ra
Heaven. and added:
Il was all right. but the blamed tree
better go slow and practice little before
rush things
He went slow, He stood off and pecked
minutes Somewhat to his surprise it
stood still, and after. five minutes work
delighted and encouraged him. and grow
ing holder he uttered a sort of war
whoop and swung the az for liberty or
old tree was as hard as iron. As the ak
glanced and went over his head Mr..
with his nose deep in the soil. Just as he
got up Mrs Bowser arrived to say:
We'll, 1 see you have made beginning.
Were you after roots down there?
''W-what are you doing here, woman"
he exclaimed. as he rose with red face
and blazing eyes.
Il came to see you chop and be on hand
when the accident happened / see you
Co he. hoarsely whispered, he
pointed to the house
She went slowly away and when he had
seen her vanish he picked up the ak and
grow1ed:
.'Tve come out here to cut this tree
down, and I'll do the work if it takes me
100 days and nightsi The blamed thing
must have i.mped at me instead of back
waru that time. I'll get on to the trick
this time or know the reason why.
There were fairness and caution in Mr.
Bowser's actions for the next 10 minutes
He kept one eye on the tree all the time:
and was on guard. He got the hang of
the ak and released two more chips, and