The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-12

How are you going TO work
justed and all was ready.
Hell work 1t wild q flip-flop and |
dunn dunn" put in the bad-faced youngl
man. Say. Gully, when old Uncle
Josh gifts out der on skates der's goin'
to be a time to beat der band. Look |
at the heft on him. Look at der curves |
on his hind legs wouldn't miss del
sight fer a hat full of COIN"
Mr.. Bowser was reaching out for the
young man with the firm intention oil
wrecking his life when a policeman
came along and interfered. A crowd
quickly collected, and there were fifty
people about when a start was made
from the edge of the floor. 1t wasn't
a graceful start 1t was q start with
a hip-hop and a hobble, with the left
leg dragging behind. The crowd del
cided that it was a bluff by a profess
out:
"Our Uncle Eli has got a trick up|
his sleeve"
''Give in. old man. ana cut de
pigeon-wing!" yelled third.
Mr.. Bowser would have given one
million dollars in cash. q brick house.
and a yoke Of oxen to have been toast
ing his toes at his own fireside just
then. but he was in for it and must
| carry it through. AS he wobbled
around on the floor he tried to re-
member how he used to start in to
cut Roman scroll, but memory failed
him. The shouting continued. but
there was nothing encouraging. He
finally determined to get his feet to-
gether and make a circle Of the room
| to drive the weakness out Of his knees,
and then the end came. At his first
| move his heels shot forward. his body
dangled IN space for an instant. and
then he came down with a crash and a
| conclusion. The conclusion took place
| when the back of his head hit the
| floor, and 1t was just as well for his
~ a r1o ~SR It'd 49, =
ness for the next sixty seconds and
| didn't hear what was said. When he
| came to he had been dragged to the
door, the skates were removed and the
policeman was saying:
! Now, old man, If you've any home
to go to you'd better git! Your line is
jumping over eight horses and an ele-
plant, and you should stick to it,"
1T was dis way" said the bad-faced
young man, who had cautioned old Mr..
Bowser in the beginning. I'VE was a
happy crowd here. and all was going
well, when dis old rooster comes along
and begins his brag as how he kin
crisscross and flipflop and razzle-
dazzle. He blows SO much dat we give
him show. De fust ting he does is
to bump into Jimmy de Kid. Den he
caroms against Foxy Doles. Knocks
de heels from under two females and
skeers de life out'n four innocent chill
dren. We fought he was only hilarious.
but when he tried de grand flipfop and
lost his legs and got up with his ears
happin', we seen dat he was only q
hill on wheels. AS many of dis crowd
as favors giving him de grand chuck
will hold up his right hand
Most of the hands went up. but the
policeman interfered and again ad-
vised Mr.. BoWser to cultivate the ac-
luuaintance Of his fireside without un-
necessary delay.
Mr.. Barnes said he'd go home with
him, but Mr. Bowser glared at him
land made threatening gestures. Then
Mr.. Barnes said he was sorry about
the crash and the collision and asked
how 1t happened, But Mr.. Barnes
waved him aside and left the hall
alone. There were fourteen different
aches in his back and his head seemed
to be four times too large and full Of
| wheels, but he wouldn't take a hack.
1t was an hour before he reached home.
him at the door. One look at him told
the story.
"Woman-' he began as he held on
to q peg of the hall-tree with one hand.
Then she gently led him into the sit
lting-room. tenderly deposited him on
the lounge and kindly said:
poor man. You evidently fell out
of a tree. Just lie quiet, and will do
all can to save your life. 1t may
take years and years to reduce this
bump on the back Of your head. and
II notice that you are 1op-shou1dered
and have only one leg twisted out of
shape. but don't worry. It's all in the
pigeon wings. you know."-(Copyright
1914, by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndi-
cate.)