The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-01-04

| reel certain lHefe VIII ue an dctluent
Don't be angry with me, and don't run
any foolish risks
Mrs. Bowser," he said. nfter long
look at her, rive lived for forty years
without guardian and object to one
now. | shall try this horseless car
ringe this evening. shall bny ii.
shall make daily use of it. There is
no need of any quarreling. You can
take your outings In II rocking chair
and die of consumption
At that moment the vehicle arrived
and Mr.. Bowser went out to meet II.
When the owner inquired why Mrs
Bowser had not appeared he was told
that she was not feeling well. He
seemed bit relieved at the news and
! added
Il guess you had better take Inc along
with you this evening. / don't think
anything will get out of order, but
you'll have more confidence in yourself
If I'm along"
"Oh. Pve plenty of confidence" re-
piled Mr. Bowser. I'm just going to
| SN'NI ny anu hphH III iAR'A Va INV
house for awhile. Mrs. Bowser is a lit
tie bit shy of the carriage. but when
she looks out OF the window aud sees
me gliding along she'll get over her
nervousness"
You are sure you've got the hang Of
IT,
Perfectly sure. It's as easy as spin
ming top"
Look out when you cross the car
tracks up there, and take due notice of
the brick pie down the street.
wouldn't make the speed over four
miles an hour
! Mr. Bowser mounted to the seat with
all the confidence of man starting to
drive a pig out Of the garden AS he
started the vehicle up he noticed Mrs.
B0wser and the family cat taking II
peep at him from front window, and
there was exultation in his heart. He'd
make that carriage get up and hump
itself or run the four wheels up tree
He made the first block in tolerably
good shape, though taking up most OF
the street, and then lie put on steam
to beat street car at the crossing
| AS he did so he just missed an old
woman with a market basket who was
crossing the street. and as he crossed
the tracks he made such close shave
of being run down by the car that the
motOrman had five years added TO his
| age in ten seconds. He yelled at Mr.
Bowser. and the conductor seconded
his efforts as the rear end OF the car
came along, but as the horseless car
riage was taking short cut over tue
sidewalk and around a lamppost their
profane greetings We're UNDECIDED. Five
minutes later the vehicle drew up in
front of the Bowser mansion in good
shape, but the owner of the horseless
carriage anxiously remarked:
IF | were YOU I'd 90 little slow.
This thing wasn't built 10 climb trees
or jump fences"
Don't worry about me- replied Dir.
BuWSer as he set off down the street
But there was cause TO worry before
he had gone half a block. a man was
carrying IA ladder across the street, and
the vehicle hit the ladder and slowed
the whole United States around and
piled it in Il heap and run over 1t. The
man with the ladder got up and swore
He swore in English, French and Ger
man. but Mr.. Bowser was a block aud
half away and turning around for
the spin home. He knew that Mrs
BOwser and the cat would be looking
and hn nnllo1 ha thpnttln vida
and cut dash. The big brick pile
was only half a block away and oc-
cupyhg half the street He saw 1t,
and he aimed to miss 1t by ten feet.
but five seconds later there was a yell
and n crash, which brought ont hun
dred people in no time. The horseless
had tried its best to climb the brick
pile, but had succeeded in getting only
halfway up They found tangle of
wheels, spokes, splinters. rods and le
vers and I'm the midst of the tangle
was Mr. Bowser. lie wasn't saying n
word. Indeed. 1t was two hours before
lie said anything. BY that time the
doctor had patched him up, the police
had driven the crowd away, ana Mrs.
BOWser ana tne family cat had hsuieu
out how 1t all came about.
"Has-has anything happenedT ask
ed Mr.. Bowser as he looked around In
puzzled way.
Nothing much" quietly replied Mrs. |
Bowser you've simply been taking |
Il ride in horseless carriage
'find why-why am l in bed and all |
bandaged up?"
"Oh, you are just resting and getting |
ready for the next fad"
Then Mr.. Bowser closed his eyes |
with a sigh Mrs. Bowser turned down |
the gas little, and the cat went down
stairs to look for mice and get the |
smell of arnica and camphor out of
her nostrils.
Delicate Flattery.