The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-01

before he would pay any such extortion.
There were a lot more things, one of
them being that he had borrowed a gun
and was going out into the country
next night to stay all night and shoot
snipe, and of course L felt it my duty
to tackle him as soon as possible. At
the dinner table he was sullen and
scowling, and the only time he spoke
was when he said:
Il see by the papers that this has
been great year SO far for the old
women to die off,
Yes, it has, 1 replied, "but I'm left
on earth yet, and 1 can manage cranks
as well as evere'
Directly after dinner I heard him tell
ing Amanda that he'd drop over to the
What Is It club for an hour or two and
give us a chance to talk, but 1 crooked
my finger at him and said:
Mr.. Bowser, that What Is 1t will
wait for you in vain tonight. Your
mother-in-law has arrived, and there
are a few things she would like to say
to you"
But don't care to talk he gruffly
replied.
But you will talk just the same. If
you want to talk to me here all right;
if you want me to follow you to the
club just put on your hat!
He hung in the wind for minute
and then sat down and began whis-
pering to himself to show that he was
not afraid. Mrs. Bowser motioned me
over his head to spare him all could,
but it did not soften my heart Mr..
Bowser is a man who cannot be spar
ed. The only way to deal with him is
to crush him. True, he will only stay
crushed as long as I am in the house,
but it has a moral effect afterward.
Mr.. Bowser," I presently began,
what is this 1 hear about the gas
bill?''
Your daughter has wasted 81
worth to spite me- he replied.
You know better, sir! The idea of a
baldheaded man weighing 200 pounds
telling any such story as that looks
like boys play. Don't you want some
bread and butter with sugar on it?
You never go down cellar that you
don't leave a blaze of light behind
you. That's where the gas has gone.
You are the most careless man in the
world around the house. Let me hear
no more about Amanda's extraVa-
ganoe. Now, about this repainting?"
The house is to have two coats,
and I am going to do the work my
self. I calculate it will take me two
weeks
We'll, 1 don't calculate it will take
you two minutes, The house doesn't
need it, and no painting will be done
If you were to daub around here for
two weeks your own wife and half of
the neighbors would commit suicide"
What, can't paint my own house
if 1 want to,'' he shouted as he got
up and began to prance around.
My language was plain. sir. Sit
down before you get crick in the
back. There will not only be no paint
ing done, but if you want to raise sun
flowers and hollyhockS. go and hire a
piece of vacant ground 1 do not adj
mire them, and as I may be here all
summer. I object to having them
around"
she may be here all summer" he
groaned to himself.
Having disposed of the hollyhocks
and the sunflowers, we will take up
housekeeping" I continued.
Amanda will see to that and take
about three days, and while she is do
ing il you can either eat off the kitch-
en- table and sleep on the floor and
behave yourself or go to some hotel"
by thunder, woman, -
That will do, Mr.. Bowseri Don't
swear at me and don't call 'woman!
You are red in the face, and your ears
are twitching. but it will do no good
to get mad. 1 am the mother-in-law;
l am IT.
Woman, this is too much. too muchi