The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-09-13

bling over, and it was minute or
two before he could say:
We'll. angel of the earth. your
old kicker has got a little surprise for
you. 1t will show you that I'm not so
bad after ALL I may raise rows and
saw mean things. but I appreciate
you at your full worth just the
same
And you've got a surprise for
me?" she asked.
IT have, and it's a corker. Come
right in and behold it,
On the wall in the padlor, where he
had taken another picture down to
make room for it. hung a portrait of
Mrs. Bowser in a gilt frame. 1t was
portrait done in crayon: 1t was
after a photograph twelve years old.
1t had been done by the office boy
in Mr. Bowser's office. He was an
office boy without a lazy hair in his
head. When he wasn't going to the
postoffice or sweeping out he was
making portraits or hunting around
secondhand stores to find frames
which could he cut down to fit them.
His industry had given Mr.. Bowser an
idea, and Mrs. Bowser's crayon was
the result. 1t had all come in for So
per week, except the frame.
"Why-why-who is it?" asked
Mrs. Bowser, as she stood before the
picture. Being from her oldest photo
graph and the style being so ancient,
she could not recognize herself.
Who is it," echoed Mr.. Bowser,
as he slipped his arm around her and
gave her kiss. We'll, it's the pic
ture of the best little wife on the
top of the earth, and she's standing
right beside me at this moment.
What have you got to say about it 2"
Tit was awfully kind of YOU
Don't mention it 1 wish I could
have presented you with forty of 'em.
It's you to a dot 1 think it the best
piece of work I ever saw That boy
will make his mark if he keeps on.
Now. then. I'm going to ask Davis
and his wife to run in and look at it,
81 don't think 1 would-not to-
night"
And why? Davis claims to know
all about art, and L want his criti-
cism. He'll try to find some flaw, but
he'll rave mighty hard work. Mrs.
Davis will probably want one done by
the same boy
Il don't think they are home this
evening" said Mrs. Bowser, as she
tried to hide her feelings and took a
closer look at the picture.
The crayon was the work of black
and white and industry. The office
considered back grounds and fore
grounds a useless waste of material
He had never taken particular no.
tice of how the head and arms of his
fellow beings were nailed on, and in
working from a photograph he had
corrected several mistakes of the pho
togra pher. He had enlarged the
mouth, been generous with the ears
and given the chin a slant on an en-
tirely new line. He had also inn
proved the eyes to match the mouth
that is. one of them was drawn
down in a squfnt. Mrs. Bowser's
heart stood still as she noted all
these things and a dozen more. That
crayon was a token of love, and how
could she find fault with it? She
couldn't She gave Mr. Bowser a kiss
and ran upstairs, as if to hide her
coyness. He was calling it coyness,
and chuckling and rubbing his hands
when Davis walked in
What on earth is that?" he Quer-
led, as he looked at the crayon.
And you don't recognize itr' ex-
claimed Mr.. Bowser-
Hanged if L do. or you either! 1t
may be your cook, or your grandmoth-
er, or the woman who sells horseradish
on the street Ye gods. Bowser, take
it down.
What's wrong with it?''