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Mouser's Sawbuck

Mouser's Sawbuck image
Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
June
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

[National Tribune] Mr. Mouser and lila inerry littlu wit'e iccupled a charmlng cottjr In the su'mrbs of a Itirye city in the "'KutlierliiiHl." IÜ8 business coiuiciLions were ofsucli n Iftllllt' lli;il lic na UMialiy ai lrlMire ;ll;er fouro'dflCk in the afternooti. Mr. Mouser prided hiinself on belnz a man ot oiiginality and hrains. Mr. Mouter alsb liked u little joki - at otlier ptople's expense. It was autuinn. Mr. Mouser liad jut laid In i good supply of winter liicl Wood was chielly used "for tliis purpppa n the land f Mr. Moneer's blrth. Sllting by the window of his ooev livInjr-mom, enjoyinu a rojal smoke front the long-tenimed pnrcelaln pipe, Mr. Mouser watched the wood-sawyer plyiiiv his tradt'. mude easy by long hiiblt of litndliOK wod and aw. As Mr. Monser gzed imd poixfered, an Idea crept into his liead. It was grusped- as ideaa quiokly becitmfl OHptlTe there. "Lizbeth," aid ke to his wife, " t II "inuiiUr I ncver thonght of it bef ore - 1 geuerally thlnk of fueh tilinga- hut it 31 rik- me that 1 could aw that wood myself." 11 Oración-! wlmt il i'lca!" ' A hi-ight one, isn't i! Abiü .ivinff, too! Junsee with what ijase it is done - Ihe man culB throujíli the i-ticks as f he were slicing biead and butler; beaides, I reqnire more exereise; my health is 1 1 l what it has been." " My dear, do you teel ill !" " N-no, bilt a muil ueeds to exert hini self if be doe not wish to run down in muscular power. My habits are too eo'.iliniiifi; a ense of this fact has heen irowinst on me lately. Hut I have solved the ni)tery wlille wntclilnK the man UJ on suw-jack." A mere twinkle of the eyes and a laudable eiiilenvor to nmintain a erious expressiou would have couviiiced the beholrier that Lizheth lo hnd Ideas, but like a properly respeetlul wife she kept theni to herseïf until called for. ' Do yon tliink, Lizbetl-, that n little gentle muscular activity U wliat I need til ötimulate appetite?" " You might. paint the house, or do gome lesa tiresome work than wood-sawnjr," replied Mrs. Mouser. " OU, you underrale my capacitie?, my dear. And sawintf wood is not nnicli hard work. Come and see how simple it is done, yet how every luuscle is brought into play. I am encliantèd with my ide, nd shall carry itout. The in ui can finish this jol), hul it ! e the last lever py for. What think you of it, wife?" " , . " Well," lauglieil the luly, demurely, "I tliiuk we shall be ubligeil to live on cold victnals and wear blankets to keep from fref.injf. But seriously, dear, you had better eonsider what hard labor yon are planinjí for yoursell. If I were you I would experiment on a few conl-sticks and nssure myself flmt it I hs ca.-y U it looks." " That's just like a woniau !" retorted Moiifcr, disdainfully ; "alie never doe9 anything heroieallv; slie is totally incompetent in matters of physica) calculatlon. Xow, I can see just as well as if I had stoort over tliat man's kif w-jaek foran liour, the aniount of forofl required to drive a saw through a stick of cord-wood. And I declare to yóü here and now tlmt I am going to do the next load myself. It U play, uothing but play !" Llzbeth lauglied so tantnlizlngly tliat Mr. Mouser turncd upon lier in a llurry of indignation.sayinif : " Vou seein to uavu your doubls, m idamt" "Seeing is believlnr, sir!" " Well, you ftiall Ma. You QUfll I" know l)y this time Üiat I am a man with a mind of my owt, and when I say I nin goinj; to do a thinjr 1 do il. l'lease hear this In your shallow uientality, Mrs. Mouser, tliat I, your busband, am delerrul lied to never more p:iy $1 for woodsawyer's hire." "I am afraid Isball have to do a little of the wood-saw i ng myself, tlien," gravely murmnred Mrs. Mouser. Mr. Mouser mcant business. He ut once ordered the very best kind of a new saw-jack made. He purchased a Bplendld saw with shari) teelh and lilit frame. He pi aiii-eii ahout, liappy as a schoolboy, with dabs of yellow and jfreeu paint spattered all over bis person, until linally the saw frame suited hiin In ils brigM yellow coat. The saw-jaek lie paiuted :i lovely light greei) . Daily he pmmt;nüTlfd linimtlentty around the slu-d where tbe wond wuB stored, and grumbled beciuSe tbe fucl lasted so nnusually long. Al Intel he added anolber coat of rreen paint to the liiffliiy deeorated siw-jnok ("sawbiuk" il is called sometióles), and baile all his ac qiiaintances and friendo come and Ingpect his patent calisllicnic toys, until everv one tor miles arouod becaine faiuiUar with Mr. Moueer'8 Kieen saw-jaclc. At last tbe longed-for d.iv aniveil. A bij; load of line liieury had been piled Qp in close proxiinity to the tools of decimatlun. Mr. Mouser was all excitenient. He passed by his amused witC uilh important disdain and scarcely gave bimself time to devour bis dinner, he w s eager to be at his worn. "Nothiujr more, tbanks," he replied, as hts wife wlstaed to replenlsb his cup. Hisiur, he hastened to hand Ie his pels with an ardor tliat caused Lizbelh to smile kiiowiiiily as the Wütched hint plek out the very smalle' ¦ ' ¦''!" , ..i ii-ui Kr-. TIlis Was 11 ;ri al nii-take on Mr. Moiiser's puit. lic gllOUld have tackled Ilie diffictllt "nes lirsl, on lile simple bul frutile tbeory tlat custom woulii bave sweetened lila toil with the balín 0Í fjieater ense. My! how the 8aw rented and tbe abbreviated sttcks tumbled to the jrround! Süll Lizbetb, wbo was peeping with lauhter-briiiuniiiK eyes, notloed tliat al the third cordstiik work pSemed to slacken just a little, but sevun weie liniahed, and Mr. Moustr came in, declarinjr he feit j;lorious. The second dy Mr Mnnser romained at table ¦ trlfle lonjrer. Four cordstic.ks in broten lengtha llcVed the du-t, nowever. Tbird day- Mr. Moiíssr to.ik time to L'-lanee ever the daily news atter dinner. Record: Tliree conlsticks. "Lizheth," said he, " I think I liave heen chetited In the saw-jack. It is not pilt together on as practical a p'an na 1 wii-s leail tO helieve. It wriiifiles." Foutth day - Mr. Mouser toyeil over liis dinner extensivelv. He mokert liipipe and read the paper. He glanced over his monthly magazine uuiil J.uk, and tlien srarted up exclalmlng: " Meicy! bow short the rtr.ysare!" Mrs. M'iuiser enjoyi'd the ftttQHtioll lutensely, l)iit liever Sald a word. Fililí day- Mr. Mouser rose witb a sense of injustice restiiijr upon h'nn. All day he was haunted by tbe out.niy.eous fate tliat made him owuer of a sawing" My dear, we require more wo td tban usual to-day and to-moirow, waslilnfrftnd roninii days, you know," said Mrs. Mourer h soon as he got home. "I never saw nnythtng like tbe way you winnen mannjfe to consume t'uel !" and Mr. Mooier grahbed his bat and started angrily toward the woodpile. A few sticks feil beiore the savagti inanlpuiatlnn of the saw, whlle Mr. Moiwer a snnrling kept excellent time lo the wild niotions of that fawyer. With a crash be sent the saw 11 y ing Over tbe woodpile. Thin was ton lunch. II'wife was a brille to expert nim to wolk like a í-lave duriim tbe few inomenta be. could cali bis own tree from business drudgery. Hut it be gave up he woulrt liever hêar the last of it. O, if he OOUld only get rid of the saw-jack. A long time he pondered ; at la-t a smile of joy illuminated bis face. Tliat night, after his wife retired, Mr. Mooier slipped out and carried that bated green (iliject tO the front fíate. Preato, in the morning the corpus ilelictt would be gone. The bigbway was full of robber, who would steal HOythlng and everylliing. He WOttld malie a bij? fuss about the losa, but tuke good care nol l.ny a wcond 8'lHe'"slcpt Hie sleep of thejust until about four o'elock n the morajnjr. It 'was still dark, but bis anxiely lo awure himself of the loss of bis trouble caiwd him to miek oul and rooonnolver. The saw-jack was ftlll Hiere. Mr. Moiiser whisiH-reil- not a prayer. "Olí, well, Hiere U time enougli nill between this hour and dayl'.ght for a llieft to be oommitUd." It was thu voice of lire. MouHer thnt awakcned liini In time tur breukMt He glsuced out of the window the lirst tiiiiiK.' Oh, how brightly the un ghone, and Ihut saw-jaok gleame.l up at him in '-! its verdant beauty. No robbers band had carrted it r.way. A fciirlul slgli eftaped the Mouser bosom. " You must saw soine wood tor me befdic you fío, dcar," said hifi wilV. " What, moro wood?" "Yei dear; recollect you nnly lawed one stick lii-l . v.-iiiiiy," rejoinnl M i. Mouer, meekly, btit wlcfced (floi mischief plsyed nbw her eye and mouth. , , , Mr Motucr Ijrnored her reply, and hastened Co work with bis prètty tooU with a vlüor bom of awful fury, but waj down in hia soul a volee ;i"iincil, lliit saw-jack must gol Wbonrf whaucíí Uow? Mr Mouser u:is ¦ DMHi of n1-"1' Twclve o'clook mWalght. A bttTflarlgh darkness and silence broodüd aroiin.l ai a man stnle henee trom liis nnu-h, and, grabbinghistrou.sci, lelt ii:o.y l-drooin. A little later the only other active cica. ture about, a felino prima donna, niiglii have witnessed a sorry siirtit - ft bolltary fConcluded on Fourth Pngt-j ( Coiilinueitfrom First l'agr..) man imtroliing lownward. clutcJiina i" ii9 stion" rigtit hand a beautifnlly nlnted green sawinsr-j'irk. Soon he returned. The siiwlne jurk, wbere was it? Mr. Mouser rOM 'lint momin? in u nost delighttiil fïmne f mimi. 14 Lizbeth. my dear HUI LtebMh,1 he exclnlmed, f nskly. " I '" SoillP to "rk in emCK to-dav. I mi feeling fine, niuch beller ihan [ have fur sume time. Here teel thts arm. How's thnt tor rnusele, el'? Tluu's what sawrng wood lias done!" Lizbeth blinked oddly, but looked contented. Mr. Mouter hastened out to " flip off a stick or two bel ore brenkfast," luit íoon carne in looking quite ngry and )iizled. " Wbat in the world bas become of tbat jark V" It WM gone. '"Sucli nfamy - to ste;il one'a vcry implcments of toil!' he ciiid, in a mge, as lic sent for the old woodsinvvrr e {rain. Mr. Moiisi-r, ofoourse, grievod overhis loss, bilt managed to eonquer the ie;ret sutHcient to display fome of lila old wit and tniitli. But tlii good feeling reoeived a .eiidlen check the morning after the burjflaty of the jnrk. He had ju-t opened the dnily paper wlien hi lance was arrtsted ly a lealinjr paragraph. " Lizbeth, look at tliis'" Mrs. Mouwr bicame larmed. Her liuslmnd wal pule indenth and IvemMfog in every linib as he handed her the paper. Slie road: 'The residence of Hon. Olive was broken into night before last and a largc siim of inoney and vnluable pinte iiml ewelry stolen. The robbers en'tered by the arden window, f rom wbicli tbey had removed the iro;i gratlng, wbile stiindiiif; on a sinírulai-looking woodcn object, recognizt-d by old-fashioned country folks as a ' sawbuck.' It is puintcd :i liliht green, and wilt doublless prove a valuable clue toward tracinf the mlscrcants. A thousaod dollars reward is offered for return of jewelry or Information leai'.ing to the arrest of the robhers." " Why, this is splendid ! You can at once notify the authoritie that tbp 'jnck' in yonrs- the thieves who carried t off- " "Oh, my - oh, my !" roancd Mr. Mouser; "ilon't talk to me about thlewF. I may be arrested any moment whtn thev discov r- " " Diïcovi r what? How ean Ihey airest an innocent man becauee be ownsnn nrticle etolen from hiin and used by wretrhes " " Oh, Lizbeth I raay not even be able to prove an xlibi. Ob, what (huil I do ? I teil ycu, wlfe, I aja not entirely iniucent." "Ah, we nab you confessinfr. my line bird,'' a rude voice here inteiiupted, followed hy the entranne of the minions of jiiílice. Mrs. Mouser bejriied, cried, slrnnici and imploiel. .Mr. Mou-cr whs mnte ainl totllv eruslied; but the bold piinlomof authority led hlin away to a dungeon where he lanuulshed for th ree days before bis frleii(!s could obtain lieiirin}; for hint. In the menn time the ral culprits had heen cmight, hut the I iw re (lulrcil an eXplanalimi 6f the IsliUSjce that appeared to the pólice Mke a confe9slon of C'inplicity, nolwiilist iidiiig M ". unquestionnble social standii g and perfect respeetability. The oourt room s crmvilcd wllli his fiiends and neifilibois. His wife gazed at him teartully and !ovtnily,but Monsei was very much eist down. 'f ben wis BoetCftpe. Hf had to teil how distasteful wood BjtWiág had pioved to him. how he leared the ridicule of wife and friends it', aller tilt Imnstintr, he gave it up. Hut when he relate! his midnijiht elopenient with hU k'c-ii siiwing-Jack, even the court joined in tin: brom] sniile that rippled into a of fnuii the lcssdlgnitied listi er-. The crovvnlitg huiniliation carne, liowewrj hen he lelt the prison for the coach to be tnkeii iionie. There he saw the yrecn abominiition restini ut Hip diivi i's fVel in front ot the carriage. lli wite Inis not stoiipi d laughini; vet at ' ' ¦¦''' " ' 'iinif1

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News