The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-10-18
Spoopeadyke.
rhe code Fullr Exnl,ined.

s'My DEAR" said Mrs. Spoopendykc.
examining the baby's feet critically, to
see if they were both alike, ''my dear, 1
see that one of the strikers, or capital,
has been hurt; do you know the facts
about tips
ssHow hurtp what did it say?" asked
Mr.. Spoopcndyke. turning from the glass
and strapping his razor
81 don't remember exactly, but he
went down to u slaughter-house to get
something for his family and somebody
shot him in the legs"
That's the way it happened, was itP'
demanded Mr.. Spoopendyke, grinning
through his lather. ale didn't 90 to
his family for pair of legs and some
body shot him i'll the slaughter-house.
did he? Nor he didn't 90 down to his
LEGS for a slaughter-house, and some
body shot him in the family That
wasn't the way it read, was it?'
''No-o-o, think not" replied Mrs.
Spoopendyke, obviously. ''rm sure
it was something about slaughter
house and legs. Do you know how it
happened"
Yes, 1 know how it happened"
Knocked Mr.. Spoopendyke, pegging away
at his visage with the razor. IF hadn't
found out "A way from home I'd always
been puzzled about it, though. Two
gentlemen fought duel, and one got
shot That's all there is in it.' !
~ knew ther'd be some trouble as
soon as | read about those Strikes con-
fidently continued Mrs. Spoopendyke.
Whats the strike to do with it?'
vociferated Mr.. Spoopendyke. ''Think
he struck for another shot? Got "a no.
ton he struck for more legs, haven't
We? 1t would have been bad idea,
that" soliloquized Mr.. Spoopendyke.
rather impressed with the combined
originality and utility of that class of
strike.
Did he get shot in both legs?" quer-
led Mrs. Spoopendyke. ut must have
been cannon ball, or else he held his
legs in front of each other"
That's the way he did it," moaned
Mr.. Spoopendyke. They always do
that. When they are lighting :. duel
they sit down like a tailor or Turk
What dye think they fight with, fortsP
Got some kind of IL vague idea that they
fight with line of battle ships? Who said
anything about cannon balls? Pistols, |
tell We! They fought with pistols. and
one of them hit the other Roll that in-
formation around in your ten-acre intel
ligencer'
Certainly" faltered Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke. but tell me. dear, why should
one man shoot al other for going to the
slaughtec-house?
Holy herringr' calculated Mr.. Spoo-
pendyke. He went there to get shot.
1t was agreed upon. The man who shot
him had reflected on his honor, and he
went there 10 satisfy it,
And did it satisfy his honor to shoot
him in the legs?" asked Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke.
THAT was as near as he could get to
it. tell you that when man fights a
duei he wipes out an insult, whether he
gets shot in the legs or the ear. 1t makes
no difference"
II should think it would" murmured
Mrs. Spoopendyke. ut would TO me.
So his honor is all right now, is it?'
LOT course it Is" replied Spoopen-
dyke, wiping his face. Suppose you
can reason on the subject without any
further information from me?e
pendyke. LAS 1 understand it, if a
mans honor is hurt all he's got to do is
get shot in the legs, though don't see
WY he didn't shoot himself, unless it
was that he couldn't reach round"
Il
Spoopendyke. He shot at himself in
the looking-glass all the morning, and
couldn't make it work, so he hired
man to do it for him! 1t took your shot
tower intellect to see into it! What you
want now is squint in one eye and
soIne dod gasted friends to interfere to
be u revised edition of the measly codei
If you only had somebody to chalk off
six PAGES on you and squad of police
with a bench warrant, you'd be reg
ular Bladensburg! I'm going out to fight
duel and get shot! Think you under
stand it then? If l had bullet through
both legs, would you want any more
information?''
mo, dear" sighed Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke, and as her husband tossed his
shaving brush into the baby's crib and
slammed out the door, she began to
think that man shouldn't keep his
honor in his legs if they couldn't take