The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-14

This morning her voice was a squeak
and Shrek, and Mrs. Bowser paused
in her work to catch her breath. Six
times did the old woman yell before
reaching the gate, and at each yell the
cat bumped her back and sharpened
her claws on the stone doorsill. Paus-
ing at the gate, she uttered three more
yells, and ended with a sort of rhap-
SOdy on:
"oh--oh = horse-radish = radish
-radish-horse-h Only
10 cents for my h-o-r-s-e-r-a-d-
Mr.. Bowser looked up in a careless wav
ana then. taking dime from his pocket
ne tossed 1T down to her and motioned
ner TO hand the bottle to the cook at
the basement door. The thought that the
weather might have affected his brain
flashed across Mrs Bowser, while the
cat took walk through the hall and won
dered If the house of Bowser was doomed
The old woman was only well out of
the way when man with satchel came
along He was persuasive man with
persuasive smile, and as he turned in at
the gate there was a sort OF balm in his
voice as he announced:
Il am selling powders for the manufac-
ture OF root beer for family use. They
are strictly vegetable, recommended by
all doctors, and no drink on earth can
compare with it. My regular price is Is
cents a package, but in order to introduce
the powders into this neighborhood 1 will
age for Is cents. and full directions &C
company it,
Mrs. Bowser expected Mr. Bowser to
buy four packages and rush for the base
ment to make a barrel of the elixer, but
she was way off. He simply remarked
that he was trying iced milk for the sum
thing else, and, although the man hung on
for 10 minutes longer there wasn't the
shadow of a row. He was followed by a
man who had what he called a pocket
burglar alarm. 1t was warranted to
sound alarm before a burglar had got
within 10 rods of the house, and to raise
ment and several ambuIances would be
called out simultaneously, but Mr.. BowSer
exhibited no interest.
On other occasions he would have snap
ped up that S25 burglar alarm a hen
reaches out for potato bug. but this
was his quiet day. He wished the man
well, but he refused to invest. At this
the cat gave the thing up in disgust and
retreated to the cool, dark cavern under
the family lounge and Mrs; Bowser called
Mr.. Bowser, do you feel any aches or
pains anywhere?"
Not a blessed one" he replied
Does your heart beat regularly"
Like clockwork"
ANY feeling as if you had a weight on
top of your hearth
"Of course not. Why do you ask these
silly queStionS?''
IL didn't know but that the heat
might have affected you
Not much. I'm cool cucumber
on ice.''
After luncheon Mr.. Bowser took stroll
through the mouse, out ne nellnor SuS-
gested repainting, repapering nor
change of carpets. He might have said
that the cellar needed a new coat of
whitewash, but he didn't.
There was one screen door which sag
ged a little, but he didn't get out his
tools to fit it.
One of the water faucets needed new
washer, but he left it alone.
AS he went back to the front steps
sewing machine agent came along and
buzzed him, patent stone man tried
to talk him into new sidewalk, and
a man came along and offered him $50
COW for SIG, but he quietly refused to
invest hold any protracted argument.
The gas bill came in, and he paid it
without a word and two tramps came
along and got a dime apiece out of him
without going into particulars as to how
a cloudburst had wiped their families
off the face of the earth. Mrs Bowser
simply walked around on her ,tiptoes and
carried a pale face, and a dozen times
during the day she almost decided to send
for the doctor and have him examine Mr..
Bowser's head.