"What do I mean? That's a cool question to ask me! In view of what has transpired what have you to say?"
"I say that you were foolish to undertake the job. I warned you how it would turn out."
"Mrs. Bowser!" he shouted, squirting tears of lime water out of his eyes, "do you pretend to deny that you didn't encourage me to undertake a task which you knew would put my whole future happiness, if not my life, in peril?"
"I do, sir. I did all I possibly could to dissuade you."
"And you are not to blame?"
"Not in the least."
"Mrs. Bowser, this is too much—too much! I could forgive one who had wronged me, if penitent, but when they attempt to brazen it out it is time for action. We will settle on the amount of alimony right here and now."
But we didn't. After blinking around for half a day he went down town, and when he came home to supper he was as good-natured as pie. I got a colored man to come and do the work, and two or three days later, when Mr. Bowser happened down cellar, I heard him saying to himself:
"Yes, it's a mighty slick job I did on this, and I'll tackle that stovepipe to-morrow morning."
—Detroit Free Press.