The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-03-26
A Tanned Tornado.

ho s"uhtcrCu into WbtSOnb ycster-
day, plankcd down ten cents and said,
"Ef you've got n puzzle that you
think can't do for money, trot it out"
The clerk never CANDLES, but he
handed out "crack brain" and devot-
ed bis leisure to the stranger, who, after
receiving instructions as to the result to
be reached. began manipulating the
blocks.
"Pshawi Gimme suthin' hardo said
the stranger as lle put In its place in
threo moves.
"Well, go ahead" said the clerk.
1.-TWO. Therel That's no trick.
Three. Humph This is fool game p
"You're doing well; go ahead"
"Ohl I'm q regular sou'wester on
puzzles, l am. Docs this ere little
thing stick the natives hereabout2"
Meantime he was working to get a in
its place.
"rhar! You thought you had me on
that Jun, didn't ye2 But got'er, didn't
l? | tell you Pm rousin' old gale on
puzzles. Pm a-five-rcg'l lar built-six
tornado on puzzles Any man
rs can put In one row can put in two
rows, an don't you furgit It. Les sec
hcro-drap the five, that's it, now she's
q comm; oight! Thar she am. Two
rows in less'n five minutes. Next time
l can put the whole business straight in
two minutes, an want to bet OIL it. |
want to bet big mouey. want to
gamble two to ono on three minutes. %
And he laid down the box looking
for takers.
"Well" remarked the clerk "you put
the two rows in very readily. Let's
500 II You can got tho next two as
quickly"
"Next two! OF course l can. That
stands to reason, don't it? Itell ye Pm
q genuine whirlwind on puzzles. Look
a that! Sec nine slide into Ter place /;
an look at ten waltz to FER hole. It's a
gittin' easier every mint. See? Elev-
en-. No trick at all. Now Pm onto it
biggcr'n a bale o'cotton. Jest drop
nine down peg, sashay twelve into
'er little nest, Jump nine back to the
head, an thar she sits o X"
eyes but the last line reads 10, 10,
IA" suggested the clerk.
"Currect! Didn't notice that. Only
one out o. place. Fix that up in holy
mint. Haint the old original biz
Eai d on puzzles though? Sticks the ma
tives, ehp"
And he pushed tho blocks around as
II It had cost nothing to make them,
Then the clerk went to wait on o lady
and didn't come back for thirty min
utes.
"Have you succeeded yetW
"Sh! Don't bother me now. It's a
comm all right"
"A 10,
pied the clerks attention for an hour
and half, and then, as the gas was be-
ing lighted, the stranger looked mp and
asked,
elias the 10, 10, train gone west?
"What do you mean?" said the new
clerk who had relieved the other for
supper. , H., o.. ,.,.,. .,.,,
gone TO Is, l4W
81 don't understand"
And the stranger glnrcd at him and
and eluci,lated,
81 want to know II the Is o'clock
train has got into the nine row and"
"Chnzy, by thundcr!" calculated the
clerk and no Yelled,
"Policc!'
The stranger went to the bridewcll
insisting that he was not tho tornado,
tho blizzard, the whirlwind they were
in search Of; that no was only quiet,
peaceful little summer zephyr; that he
wouldn't blow thistle-down of a
creased bald head; that he wasn't era
Sy, but only an unfortunate victim of
misplaced confidence and the Is block.
Next morning no sneaked into the
store and said he'd take one of those
puzzles; that he know fellow who
thought he was regular old Manitoba
wave on puzzles and he wanted to take
the wind ont of him.
And he stepped out to tell number
of friends he had solved the riddle six
times; but no wouldn't bet nickel
against the bank of England that he
could do 1t again.