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Show j Mrs. Bowser j 1 Spoils It j : Again j Z Mr. Bowser Loses ! a Good Thing I Copyright, 1917, by the McCluro Newspaper Newspa-per Syndicate.) By M. QUAD. At three o'clock the other afternoon a boy left an open note at Mr. Bowser's Bow-ser's resilience, which told Mr. Bowser Bow-ser that he would have a caller that evening and under no circumstances was he to leave the house before 8 o'clock. The note was signed: "John Darius Clay." Mrs. Bowser read the note, and hud a suspicion that a scheme was' on foot. An hour before Mr. Bowser arrived ar-rived a second note was delivered. and library was left a Htte ajar. She was ready when the conversation began. be-gan. "Your name is Mr. Bowser?" began Mr. Clay. "It is." , . j , "Mr. Samuel Eowser?" "Yes." "I came on from Washington at the earnest request of Secretary Daniels, who is a bosom friend of mine. The government is building for him ten more battleships, and he wants your advice as to how to handle them. Could you go back with me to Washington Wash-ington for a week or two?" "Hum ! Let me see ! This Is very sudden, Mr. Clay. Why did Mr. Daniels Dan-iels select me to give him pointers?" "He did not explain all to me," replied re-plied Mr. Clay, "but I think he heard that you were an old salt and consequently conse-quently knew all about ships." "I may come to Washington a week or two later. I am willing jto do anything any-thing to aid and assist the 1 secretary of the navy. The president himself did not send me any word, did he?" "Not exactly, but lie, of course, expects ex-pects you will come. I am an old salt myself, and together we can post Mils: f- i , fpl jj She Opened the Door and Appeared Before Them. This note read that Mr. Clay had important im-portant business to discuss with Mr. Bowser, and it was business that couldn't wait until the morrow. Mrs. Bowser read that note, also, and now she was sure that Mr. Bowser was to be let in on the ground floor of some great enterprise. lie was handed both notes, when ha entered the house, and he sat down and read them, and scratched his head and muttered: ,;Clay ; Clay ; why, I don't know any man named Clay! John Darius Clay, is it, and he has got some very important import-ant business with me? Perhaps he wauts tp buy a farm." "And, perhaps, he has got some scheme on hand," cautioned Mrs. Bowser. Bow-ser. "There goes the bell. He has made a very early call." She went to the front door herself, expecting to see John Darius Clay, but it was not Mr. Clay. It was the boy who had delivered the two notes and he had a third one. It was handed hand-ed to Mr. Bowser, and he read that Mr. Clay would call at seven thirty, and to let nothing take him from the house at that hour. "It seems that Mr. Clay wants to see you very much," said Mrs. Bowser, as jthe note was handed to her. "Who do you think he can be?" "Why, I am rather expecting news jfrom Washington for the last three lays," importantly replied Mr. Bowser. "He may have been sent here as a the secretary so that he will make no blunders." "Yes, I think we can," was the reply, re-ply, accompanied by a swelling of the chest. "Then I will at once telegraph the secretary," said Mr. Clay. "He will be very anxious to hear from me, and, of course, during your stay there you will be treated almost like a king. That is all, Mr. Bowser, except a little lit-tle formality. The secretary forgot to hand me any money, and I must ask you to advance me $25. You will get it back, of course, as soon as you arrive in Washington. I dislike very much to ask you for this money, but I don't see how I am to get to Washington Wash-ington without it." "Oh, of course of course," replied Mr. Bowser, as his bosom swelled out another notch or two. "You think that $25 will cover all expenses, do you?" "Urn. Let me figure a little. You had best make it $30 or $35, Mr. Bowser. Bow-ser. There may be unforeseen expenses, ex-penses, you know." "There is quite apt to be," announced announ-ced Mrs. Bowser, as she pulled open the door, and appeared before them. It was so unexpected that nobody could do anything in reply, and she looked straight at John Darius Clay and said: "I understood you to say that you were an old salt yourself?" Mr. Clay was so taken aback that he only bowed in response. "If you are then, you can answer me a question : Is the main downhnul of the second uphaul of the third jib-boon jib-boon kept in the captain's cabin, or i: the cook's galley? If you are an old salt your answer to that question will be a prompt one." Mr. Clay looked helplessly at Mr. Bowser, and Mr. Bowser had a look of woe and helplessness on his face. There was silence for half a minute, during which the cook downstairs was heard to drop her dishpan and swear about it, and then Mr. Clay called up his nerve and said to Mrs. Bowser: i "I came hern to do business wit); ! Mr. Bowser. If his wife is to interfere" inter-fere" "His wife will surely interfere unless un-less you can answer my question," interrupted in-terrupted Mrs. Bowser. Mr. Clay did the best thing he could O") tinder the circumstances. He rose up and backed out of the room and took his hat from the hall-tree hall-tree and left the house. When the echo of his footsteps had died away Mrs. Bowser said : "He was more of a swindler than an old salt, and he was stalling you In great shape. Why, the looks of the man alone showed that he was a sleek, slick swindler. You can shout at mo and wave your arms around and declare that I have always spoiled spoil-ed your schemes to get rich, but It will make no difference with me. I have saved you $35 nnd you ought to be generous enough to divide with me." But Mr. Bowser wasn't generous. As soon us she was out of the room he sneaked out Into the hall and got his overcoat and hat mid took n walk and Mrs. Bowaer saw him no I roore that ovenln. He wasn't hunt-ling hunt-ling for Mr. Clay, but kicking himself I vfn r M J mi m n m liU.;.J! She Was Ready When the Conversation Conversa-tion Began. messenger. Three notes, eh? Well, I have three farms to sell him, if he's looking for a bargain, and if Washington Washing-ton wants my advice it can have it 'free of cost. As a true patriot I stand , ready to advice even the president himself." All through the dinner hour both Mr. and Mrs. Bowser were mystified over the coming of John Darius Clay, and they hail been ready for him some time when he at last presented him-'Belf. him-'Belf. Mr. Bowser at once ushered him Into (lie library. Mrs. Bowser was to be left out of the conversation, but it so happened that she didn't miss a .word of It. She Huipected that Mr. jBowscr would pla that very trick, und the door between the sitting-room |