The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-07-28
spoopendyke.
The Code Fully Explained.

my DEAR" said Mrs. Spoopendyko.
examining the baby's feet critically, to
see II 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? what did 1t say2" asked
Mr.. SpOopendyke. turning from the glass
and strapping his razor.
81 don't remember exactly, but he
went down to slaughter-hOuse to get
something for his family and somebody
shot him in the logs"
That's the way it happened, was it"
demanded Mr.. SpOopendyke. grinning
through his lather. ale didn't 20 to
his family for pair of legs and some-
body shot him in the slaughter-hOuse,
did he? Nor he didn't 60 down to his
legs for q slaughter-hOus and some-
body shot Li.-. ;... s." family. That
wasn't the way it read. was itt''
"No-o-o. l think not" replied Mrs.
Spoopendyke. obviously. "I'm SURE
it was something about . slaughter
house and legs. Do you know how Il
happened"
Knocked Nj. Spoopendyke. pegging away
at his visage with the razor. '.n hadn't
found out . way from home I'd always
been puzzled about it, though. Two
gentlemen fought duel, and ono got
shot. That's all there Is In it."
Il knew ther'd be some trouble as
soon as read about those strikes" con-
fidently continued Mrs. Spoopendyke.
whats the strike to do with itT'
vociferated Mr.. Spoopendyke. think
he struck for another shot? Got q no
ton he struck for more legs, haven't
YEP 1t would have been q bad idea,
that" solilOquized Mr.. Spoopendyke,
rather impressed with the combined
originality and utility Of that class Of
strike.
ibid he get shot in both legs9" qusr-
led Mrs. Spoopendyke. 1T 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. ''rhey always do
that. When they are lighting duel
they sit down like tailor or a Turk
What dye think they fight with, fortsP
Got some kind of vague idea that they
fight with line Of battle ships? Who said
anything about cannon balls? Pistols, I
tell We! They fought with pistols, and
one of them hit the other! Roll that in
formation around in your ten-acre intel
ligence"
Certainly" faltered Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke. but tell me. dear, why should
one man shoot another for going to the
slaughter-house?"
"Holy herring" CIRCULATED Mr.. Spoo-
pendyke. 'He went there to get shot.
1t was agreed upon. The man who shot
him had reflected on his honor, md he
went there to 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 q
duel he wipes out IN insult, whether he
gets shot in the legs or the ear. 1t makes
no difference"
II should think it would" murmured
Mrs. SpOopendyke. 1T would to me.
So his honor Is all right now. is itp'
"Of course it is" replied Spoopen-
dyke, wiping his face. Suppose you
can reason on the subject without any
luEtncT iulOIiuutiOu lTOIu mgr
II guess so," ruminated Mrs. Spoo-
pendykc. las I understand it, IL q
mans honor is hurt all he's got to do is
get shot in the legs. though ! don't see
why he didn't shoot himself, unless it
was that he couldn't reach round"
That's just the reasonr' roared Mr..
Spoopendyke. He shot at himself in
the looking-glass all the morning, and
couldn't make it work, so he hired a
man to do it for him! 1t took your shot
tower intellect TO see into it! What you
want now is squirt in one eye and
some dod gasted friends to interfere to
be a revised edition Of the measly code!
If you only had somebody to chalk off
six PAGES on you and squad of police
with IL bench warrant, you'd be reg
uiar BlaJensburg! I'm going out to fight
L duel and get shot! Think you d under.
stand it thenp II I had bullet through
both legs, would you want any more
information"
"No, DEAR" sighed Mrs. Spoopsn-
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 il they couldn't take
better care of it.
-Brooklyn Eagle.