The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-11

The grocer turned red and pale and
| tried to stammer out SOmething-
And see here, sir, continued Mr..
| Bowser, as his anger grew
You heard that a poor widow, sick,
helpless and hungry was going to be
evicted. Did you walk down there and
offer any help"
Moo
You didn't even go down to tell
her that you would forgive her debt
of As cents. You have fifty loaves of
bread here. You didn't carry one
down there? In fact. you didn't care
rap about the whole thing
Il am a very busy man, sir" hum
bly, replied the grocer.
Yes, I see you are. You are busy
grabbing every cent in sight, and the
poor around you might starve to
death for any of your charity. We will
make out a list and I viii pay for il
and you hustle the things along and
let them be of full weight and good
measure. Your scales are correct, are
they?"
"Oh, yes. yes, yes,''
We'll, 1 may send a man round
here tomorrow to see whether they
weigh fourteen or sixteen ounces to
the pound
There would be need of coal and
kindling at the new place, and Mr..
Bowser stopped and ordered them.
asked the small dealer.
Yes"
''She owes % cents and don't pay. I
like that money. She buy coal of me
for three years and then beat me out
of 23 cents
you Internal hyena!" roared Mr.
Bowser at him. "Twenty-three centsl
Twenty-three centsl She has bought
coal of you for three years and you
have cheated her every time she has
given an order, and yet you are hang
ing off about an old debt of % cents!
Say, man, you ought to be tarred and
featheredr'
We'll. I take some coal and kindl-
ing to her." grimaced the man, who
did not wish to provoke Mr. Bowser
any further. II take up this nice bag
of coal of seventy-five pounds"
You bring it into the butcher shop
first, said Mr.. Bowser who had a
good eye for weights and measures.
But that butcher man, he don't
like me and tell me to keep way out
of his shop"
Well, you come in just the same,
and If the butcher acts up. may have
something to say to him. Put that
bag on the scales''
The man made a wry face and hest
tated but he had to do it. The weight
was sixty-seven pounds
You are a slick scoundrel," said
Mr.. Bowser. Yo GU are going to cheat
the widow again before she could die
1t is such villains as you that makes
half the world hard-hearted Here
is your money for the order, and don't
you eat up any of the kindlings on
your way there
Mr.. Bowser had one more errand.
He got name of a doctor who had
made the widow two visits and had
failed to come again and telephoned
him:
rs this DR.. Baker"
yes SIR
Were you over here to see the
widow Merkle?''
"I was over there a couple of times.
7 ho hill
and so I didn't go again"
What was your diagnosis of the
case?''
We'll you hustle over here and see
if it is the same thing yet 1 want to
get the medicine for her"
will you pay for the three visits %
asked the doctor.
tack the other half on to the bill of
some rich man. That's the custom of
the doctors, 1 understand"
The doctor came The prescription
was filled, and a bottle of tonic was
to be taken after the medicine was
finished.
1t was o'clock in the evening
when Mr.. Bowser said to the woman:
The doctor tells me that you will
be up at work again in a couple of
weeks. But don't be in a hurry. Your
rent is paid a long time ahead, you
have got plenty to eat, and there is
But you have not told me your
name" replied the woman, who seem
ed a good deal better since the change
in her fortune.
ooh, never mind that till I come
next time
Mr. Bowser went home and never
mentioned a word of the incident, nor
did he go back to the house of the
widow. Two weeks had passed away
when one evening the door bell rang
and Mrs. Bowser answered it. After a
minute she went back to Mr.. Bowser
to say:
Here is the woman and three chill
dren who wants to see what they call
the good man. Do they mean your"
IT guess not he blushed.
But the widow and children came in
and told their story and repeated their
thanks a hundred times over, and
when they had gone, Mrs. Bowser
said:
''Mr. Bowser you provoke me a
hundred times a year, but you are the
best husband in this world. Kiss me-"
And when Mr.. Bowser kissed her
they both had tears in their eyes,
copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)