Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-07-20
SPOOPENDYKE ON THE CODE.

Spoopendyke, examining the baby
feet critically, to see if they were both
alike, my dear, l see that one Of the
strikers Or capital, has been hurt; do
you know the facts about it?"
GLOW hurt; did it say?" asked
Mr.. Spoopendvke, turning from the
glass and strapping his razor.
81 don't remember exactly, but he
went down to the slaughterhouse to
get something for his family and
somebody shot in him the legs
''That's the way it happened, was
,it!" demanded Mr.. Spoopendyke,
grinning through the lather. ''He
didn't go to his family for pair of
legs and somebody shot him in the
slaughterhouse, did he? Nor he
didn't go down to his legs for slaugh-
terhonse, and somebody shot him in
the family! That wasn't the way 1t
read, was it,"
"No-o-o. think not" replied
Mrs. Spoopendyke, obviously. "I'm
sure it was something about slaugh-
terhouse and legs. Do you know how
it happened?"
eyes, / know how it happened"
Knocked Mr.. Spoopendyke, pegging
away at his vissage with the razor.
eff hadn't found it out away from
home I'd always been puzzled about
it, though. Two gentlemen fought a
duel, and one got shot. That's all
there is in it,
II new there'd be some trouble as
soon as I read about these strikers,''
confidently continued Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke.
"What's the strike to do with it?'
vociferated Mr.. Spoopendyke. "Think
he struck for another shot? Got a
notion he struck for more legs, haven't
ye? 1t wouldn't have been a bad
idea, that soliliquized Mr.. Spoop-
endyke, rather impressed with the
combined originality and utility Of
that class of strike.
"Did he get shot in both legs?"
queried Mrs. Spoopendyke. "It
must have been a cannon ball, or else
lie held his legs in front of each other"
'SThat's the way he did it," moan
ed Mr.. Spoopendyke. "They always
do that. When they are fighting a
duel they sit down like taylor, or a
Turk. What do you think they fight
with, forks? Got some kind of a
vague idea that they fight with line of
battle ships? Who said anything
about cannon balls? Pistols, tell
ye! They fought with pistols, and
one of them hit the other! Roll that
information round in your ten-acre-
intelligence!"
Certainly" faltered Mrs. Spoop-
endyke. "But tell me, dear, why
should one man shoot another for 60
ing to the slaughterhouse?"
s'Holy herring!" calculated Mr..
Spoopendyke. "He went there to
get shot. 1t was agreed upon. The
man who shot him reflected on his
honor, and he went there to satisfy
it."
"And did it satisfy his honor to
shoot him in the legs?'' ssked Mrs.
Spoopendyke.
''T'hat was as near as he could get
to it. 1 tell you that when a man
fights duel he wipes out an insult,
whether he gets shot in the legs Or
ear. 1t makes no difference
81 should think it would" MUIR
INJURED Mrs. Spoopendyke. II would
to me. SO his honor is all right now,
is it?'
"Of course it is" replied Mr..
Spoopendyke, wiping his face. ''Sup-
pose you reason on the subject with.
out any further information from
me-"
II guess So" ruminated Mrs,
Spoopendyke. GAS I understand it.
if a mans honor is hurt all he's got tc
do is to get shot in the legs, though
i don't see why he didn't shoot himself
unless it was that he couldn't reacl
arouud.'
''That's just the reason" roaret
Mr.. Spoopendyke. ''He shot at him
self in the looking glass all the morn
ing, and couldn't make it work, so b,
hired a man to do it for him! 1t tool
your shot tower intellect to see mt
it! What you want now is a squin
in one eye and some dod gaste'
; friends to interfere to be revised
edition of the measley code! If yol
only had somebody to chalk off 81,
Epaces on you, and squad of polic
with bench warrant, you'd be reg
ular Bladensburg! I'm going out Il
!, fight a duel and get shot! Think yo'
understand it then? If l hand
bullet through both legs, would yo'
want any more information!''
"No, dear" sighed Mrs. Spoopen
). dyke, and as her husband tossed hi
shaving brush into the baby's crib an'
slammed out the door, she began +
think that man shouldn't keep hi
honor in his legs if they couldn't TAX
t better care of it.
The Mayor of Bedford gave tn