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Show a bit. Everything must be" picked np'w and put in its plnce, and then you will do the sweeping net. The rugs can lie shaken out of the back windows, and you will find a clean sheet for the bed in that lower drawer of the dresser." "I will have it done in five minutes," replied Mr. Bowser. "What else is there to do? Give me the program that I may understand it." "Well, when you get through with the room you can sweep the stairs down. Then you can sweep the hall, : " and when you have finished that, sweep and tidy up the sitting room. During the time you arc sweeping the bell will probably ring about seven, times and five of the seven rings will want to know whether you want to buy any squashes today? These rugs can be taken out into the back yard and " hung on the clothes line and beaten. I f i Bowser, j I Housewife I a I But He Does Not Hold I His Job Very Long i I ee (Copyright, 1917, by the, McClure Newspaper Newspa-per Syndicate.) (By M. QUAD.) Mr. Bowser had been casting furtive glances at Mrs. Bowser for a quartor of an hour, when he observed: "Mrs. Bowser, you look dragged out." "And that is the way I feel," she wearily replied. "You need a day off occasionally to rejuvenate you. You stay at home too much. Why don't you take a walk ; why don't you ride out into the counlry on the suburban cars? Why don't you spend a whole day at the stores, Instead In-stead of racing down and back as if you expected the house to burn down If you did not hustle?" "It is easy enough to nsk questions. Mr. Bowser, and I can answer all of them in a very few words I don't have the time." "You mean the housework keeps you at home?" he queried. "That's just what I mean. We keep a cook, but she don't find time to do much outside her kitchen. I have to keep track of things, and there is work enough here for two women. It isn't like chopping wood or digging in the ditch, but it keeps a woman busy most of her time, and when night comes she feels dragged out." Mr. Bowser chewed on the above for Beveral minutes and then remarked : "Yes, of course, there are a few things to be done, but if you had a system about your work I have an Idea that you would reduce it one-half." "Every woman has a system," retorted re-torted Mrs. Bowser, "and she follows it as well as she can, but the bother is that things happen to interrupt her system. For instance, I.have a system about getting the breakfast ready. I have to stop that system about half a dozen times every morning to help you get dressed. Your necktie and collars have been left any old where and your shoes down here when you went to bed. You make me about half an hour's extra work most every morning, and then you come down to your breakfast in such a hurry that you upset the cook. What are you going to do with a system that calls you to answer the front-door bell about a dozen tiaes a day, to find a peddler or a tramp at the door?" "I tell you what I'll do," said Mr. Bowser after a spell of thinking. Business Busi-ness is at a standstill at the office this season of the year, and I can just as well take a couple of weeks off as not. For those two weeks I will turn housewife. house-wife. I will do all that you do around the house and you may get out every day in the week. I think I can show you something about system, and that the work around here can be made mere child's play." "That will be very kind of you," replied re-plied Mrs. Bowser, but there was a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "When do you propose to begin?" "The sooner the better. I can begin be-gin tomorrow morning as well as not "Any Squashes Today?" It Is also my day for going over the woodwork with a damp rag and wiping wip-ing off the dust." "You have got about half an hour's work laid out for me," smiled Mr. Bowser. "Do you mean that I shall read a book the rest of my time?" "If you feel like it," replied Mrs. Bowser. "When you get through with the sitting room go down to the dining din-ing room. Sarah most always sweeps it, but she says she won't have time today. You may give it a thorough sweeping. If her wrist is still lame, help her wash and wipe the dishes. While doing this, the door bell will ring . four or five times more, but be not discouraged. dis-couraged. It will be only people asking ask-ing if a man named Smith lives here." "And I'll tell them not by a darned sight !" exclnimed Mr. Bowser. ,rYou can tell them anything you want to, but they will go away blaming blam-ing you because he happens to live-on live-on the next block. When you have got down stairs again you may begin scouring the knives, forks and spoons. Sarah used to do it, but she has got so of late that she leaves it all to me. She will tell you, however, where the necessary things are and you can put in a couple of hours of real enjoyment. Then will come the milkman with his bill and several other bills and you will get rid of them and go at the silver. It needs polishing very bad. It always takes me about an hour and one-half, but you may get through it in an hour. Then will come the question of what you will have for dinner. You and Sarah will have a long debate about it, and when it is settled you will have to go for the meat oT order it by telephone. tele-phone. You will have to set the table I W "Hung on the Clothesline and Beaten." You can speak to Sarah and tell her of the new Idea. I shall want her to help me out, of course. "What instructions have you to give?" "Only one at present. I will tell you the rest In the morning before I go out. I shull go to see Mrs. Turner, who lives about three miles away. She has often asked me to come and spend the day with her. It has been my habit to wake up every morning at seven o'clock, nnd that will be your hour tomorrow morning." "Yes?" queried Mr. Bowser, as a sort of gloomy look came to his face. "You will wake me tip, and then dress yourself In a hurry and run downstairs and see If Sarah Is getting breakfast ready. It she Is a little slow you can help her set the table and make tho coffee. If I am bite, you can keep calling up the sUi.tn until un-til I appear. That Is all tonight, Mr. Bowser. "I will go Into the spare chamber to dross, ant! you 'an tidy up our room for dinner and answer all telephone calls. Sarah ought to peel the potatoes pota-toes for dinner, but she may leave It to you on this occasion. Your work will be most done with the potatoes, and you can bring in the rugs and relay them. The broom and duslpan will also want to be laid away, and, perhaps there will be a bole In the tablecloth that needs mending before it grows any larger. Did I tell you that the banisters of the stair ought to be wiped off with a rag with a Utile oil on It." Mrs. Bowser departed for the day, and Mr. Bowser went to work. She returned about live o'clock In the evening, eve-ning, and there was no Mr. Bowser around the house. She called ami called, but she called In Tiiijt. She descended to the kitchen and queried of Sarah, and the answer was: "Oh, he fiddled away till about noon and then slid out of the house, and I haven't seen nor heard of him since. I guess he quit his Job and has gou looking for something easy!" |