Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-03-25
"THE FIFTEEN PUZZLE"
Domestic Dissentions Caused by This Most
VexatiOus Game.

Mr.. Sp0opendyke Oh Clinton street,
is of the most CHEEKY, cheerful gentle
men in Brooklyn, says the Brooklyn
Eagle, and his wife is the soul of
good humor. '
Friday afternoon Mr.. Spoopendyke
brought home ''fifteen puzzle" and
told his wife he had bet a hat he
could solve it.
deed you can," said she, prepar-
ing to assist him. "Pd like to knew
what you can't do" and she busted
off the table so he wouldn't muss his
cuffs. -..
He pulled out the box. ssNow,'
said he, "You see these blocks run
four in row up to II, and then there
are three numbers 49,. IA and Is. 1
muss them around, and the object is
to make them come out just as they
were, consecutively, you know
"Certainly. That's easy" and she
put the ID block in her mouth while
she swashed around with the rest.
"What'n thunder you dorng?" de-
manded Mr.. Spoopendyke.. "You
mustn't take 'em out!'. T.. .-1
''Oh!" said she, putting the block
back upside down, ''you mustn't take
'em out, Ell! well, We'll do it with
'em in -
Mr.. Spoopendykc moved the cubes
around awhile and then pondered.
II see," said Mrs. Spoopendye,
'I've got it! Put that II down there
and the IL here, and then move 'em
around.'
He did it, and they were worse
than before.
"Hold on!" she exclaimed "now
put
"S'pose you hold on" he respond
ed. ''This thing works by hand, not
by steam. You've got to 90 slow
Now I'll put the IA there and that
lets the 13 come up in place. Then
we put the Is here and slip down the
! 90
s'That amt right. That makes il
II, 10, II. You want to get the
up and transpose those"
''Lemme be, will ye? I'm going te
fix those. There now I'll bring
down the 15 and carry-''
"But you can't. You've GOT
+ 81 haven't either. There's the Ia
10, Is, I've only to make them rur
IS, II, 10, and then--'
"Why, you can't even count. Wha
are you going to do with the 10, II
12"'
''Do with them? What dye s'pos'
I'm going to do with them? Thinl
I'm going to bore hole in 'em ant
wear them for socks? Talk sense i
you know any. Now I'll put the II
IN here and that lets the 8 in. Thel
we move the IL up and get the II il
place"
"But where's your l3, IA and Is ?
"They are right here, Mrs. Spoop
endyke; did you think they'd gone
prayer-meeting? Confound woma
around puzzle, anyway. just yo
lemme figure on this alone, will ye
l guess l know how to fix this
"Of course YOU do" said Mrs
Spoopendyke, soothingly, ''you ca
get it il anyone cam
"Just see, now. If 1 can only &C
the last three straight. I've got i
Hm-ah! yes. The l5 goes here
Now I've got it. Then the 13 an
then the IA. just move--hold on.
Il see where yoa're wrong," sal
:, Mrs. Spoopendyke. ''You want t
move
+ 81 don't want to do any sue
thing"
q "Yes, you do; just move
swell, if do move it'll be abo,
. eight miles from here, where ca
have some peace
sDon't be SO touchy; all you,
p got"
"If you don't let this puzzling bu
iness alone I'll just make hole
tue air with ii. What do you kno
:. about it. anyway I've got it all b.
. three blocks
Il "Well, I'll show you how to G
these
: ''Then show me, show me, ju
:, show me, that's all. Oh, show m
. Why don't you show me how it
- done?"
= y Mrs. Spoopendyke moved the
- around and then studied awhile.
"Why don't you show me?" d
II manded Mr.. Spoopendyke. "You sa
= you'd show me. I'm waiting to
shown. Go on with your shown
= Let the show proceed"
" ''If one could only get that IL o
70 of the way, so the Ii would come i
= we'd be all right" mused MI
: Spoopendyke.
. "Oh, certainly, certainly. If t
~ II had pair of legs, and could bui
~ a railroad around the Is, and th
- would give the ii free pass,
>, might ride into his place. Say, NJ
! Sponpenay he, lryou'll quit handli
' that Is block like a stove-lid, a
> take your thumb out of the bla
~ square, I'll be obliged to you. 1
~ ~ see now. The IA goes here
~ "No, it don't; it goes there"
. "Goes where?'
70 "Why, there"
1 "There! Where? There IN
", mean up the chimney or down (,
- throat. Where? Where do y
~, mean?''
i "Why, there. of course can't y
ar see? believe you're crazy!''
70 II am not crazy, Mrs. Spoopt
~ ~ dyke, nor am l a woman. l mis-
~ just as well put that block in the I
" as where you say. I'll put it here
r. "Then you're all wrong. 1t g
y here
" IA minute ago you said it We
u there. Let it alone, tell you. DR.
at it. Put it back where you found
's " Now, let things be. .Iu move t
~ II down here"
49, "That makes fine arrangeme
!; = Nobody bnt lunatic would put
= there. Put it here -
$50 away from here. You al
half-witted. can do this puzzle. -
Ve "You can't do anything, you {
ne idiot. You deserve to lose your b
or Go, stand around bare-headed a
u II.