The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-09-27


Dig tramp instead, and he wanted
something 10 break his morning fast.
"See here Willie" said Mr.. BOwser
as he stood in the door; did you ever
do a family washing?"
did /? Did II" replied the tramp.
"Well. you can bet your life l have
thousands of them Didn't l do all the
washing for my invalid wife, who is
now in heaven. for twelve long years?
Then her happy soul passed away. and
l went to a laundry, and | would have
been there set earning my $50 week
if an Internal submarine had not tor
pedoed the whole business.
my wife is sick and our cook has
gone" said Mr.. Bowser, and here is
a whole Monday wash to do. If you
will help me through with it III give
you your breakfast and lunch and a
big round dollar in cash.
Say no more. I'm your man.
Breakfast comes first and then the
easy work ii was always joy to me
to do a Washing
Mr.. nDWSer told him that he would
have get his own breakfast. and led
him IL The kitchen. The tramp smiled
as he saw the nine eggs in a box and
the cold potatoes left over by Mr.. Bow
ser. He took one smell Of the coffee
pot and shook his head in a doubtful
way and soon had a new supply steam
ing away ol the stove. He used lib
eral hunk of forty-five cent butter to
grease the way for the whole nine eggs,
and then he broke them all into the
frying pan. When his sliced cold pO-
tatoes were warmed up he was ready
for his meal.
You took fhe whole nine eggs" said
Mr.. BowSer as his eye caught the fry
ing pan.
Yes, sir, but | usually take twelve?'
was the quiet reply.
While the tramp was eating visit
was paid to the patient upstairs. Mrs.
Bowser was not asleep. She was too
much worried for that. She at once
asked If the cook had returned. and
Mr.. BOwser replied
'She has not, and l rather hope she
won't. l have hired a big, strong
tramp to help me today, and that wash
ing will be done on the fly"
But couldn't you hunt up regular
washwoman?
There isn't any need of that. Both
the tramp and | know all about wash
ing. You just be good girl, and in
an hour or two you will feel better. 1t
will be only fun for me to do the work
for one day"
Mr. Bowser had made up his mind
and protests would have been useless.
Mrs. BOWSer realized that the washing
would be something awful to look
back upon for the next twenty years.
but she fell back on her pillow and
closed her eyes.
When Mr. Bowser got downstairs the
tramp was just finishing the last crumb
Of breakfast and standing up to shake
it down. In tones of do or die he said:
"Now, lead me up against that wash
ing and see the dust fly"
There was a heaping basket of
SlOtHcS VII tue luUS III the AllIhCh, anu
after looking them over the tramp said:
Il will have to run out for bluing and
chloride of lime. They are what make
the washing SO dead easy" He was
sent out with some change and soon
returned with the articles required.
While he was absent Mr.. BOwser
dumped the clothes into the first tub
and drew water to cover them. That's
the way, old man." observed Willie.
Il see you have been there many
time before. Now, then, in goes the
bluing and the chloride, and your part
OF it is to stir the clothes around with
a broomstick."
Mr.. Bowser stirred. He stirred Wig
orousl.;. He stirred with all his might,
and when he had to pause for breath
he said:
Il never saw such darn blue water
as this in all my life before! Didn't
you put in too much?"
Il should have put Ia second box
If we had had it It's the blue that
does the business
But, Mrs. Bowser''-
Never mind Mrs. Bowser," inter
rupted the tramp. "A woman does the
washing one way and tramp anoth-
er. 1t all comes to the same thing IN
the end. Now, then, you get those
buds into the last tub, and VIC will