The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-11-14

ing himself that he was powerless. III
YOU want to see a ladder climb up Spoop-
endyke, stand me up against the wall
and give me show. bod CAST that
ladderw and he rammed his legs between |
two of the rounds in his efforts to free |
himself. and, finding one leg caught, |
drove the other after it to keep it COM
pany.
"Wait minute, dear" pleaded Mrs.
Spoopendyke, tugging away at the
ladder, but tacitly admitting that she
was unequal to the task. "Keep per-
fectly quiet and will get you out.
How'm to keep stillw howled MIR.
Spoopendyke, naturally resenting any re-
sistance from his wife, at the same time
recognizing his helplessness. " How'm
to keep quiet when you're pulling my
legs out like a pair of teeth4 Let gol
Pull it around and loose that foot Drop
it, can't ye9 Don't We know enough to
straighten that leg before you twist it oiil
What's the matter with you, anyway"
and with vicious wrench Mr.. Spoopen-
dyke contrived to free himself from the
ladder and assume perpendicular
Z" Let the picture go, dear, cooed Mrs
/ Spoopendyke. " You can fix 1t some
, other time"
" No time like the present " Missed
Mr. Spoopendyke, jamming the ladder
against the wall and mounting once more.
Z" Never put off father-in-law until to-
morrow that you can get away with to-
dayl Now you hold that thing tight, or
YOU will be apt to be a widow between
this and the time it takes to sweep me
upr' and Mr.. Spoopendyke, seeing that
his wife had a death grip on the ladder,
took the picture from the wall and began
to descend cautiously.
Shall take the picture, dear2" asked
Mrs Spoopendyke, letting go the ladder
and holding up her hands for the paint
ing.
Mr.. Spoopendyke turned to hand it to
her, and losing his balance once moro
came to the floor with crash.
"Got it ~ shrieked Mr.. Spoopendyke,
as the ladder again toppled over on him,
and he saw a repetition of his former
mishap. ''Think We got the measly pic
ture Got notion that We saved
enough to collect the insurance on ~
And with prodigious kick Mr.. Spoop-
endyke sent the ladder to the nethermost
part of the room and arose to his feet
) foaming.
Never mind the pictures, dear" sug
gested Mrs. Spoopendyke. You leave
J it with me and I'll hang them to-mor
: row."
= "Oh, you'll do it, " howled Mr.. Spoop
endyke, whirling on his heel and coming
down hard on his own photograph which
> he had carefully laid on the floor. 6 Yo'
are the one to hang it Trust you for
= thing of that kind If you had wir
: along your ceiling and catalogue II
= your ear you'd only want tin type ant
= a row to be an academy of design p' an'
l. with this complicated description of hi
wifes few failings, Mr.. Spoopendyke sho
> into bed as if he were practicing archery
. and nursed his wounds and wrath unit
. he fell asleep.
. 81 don't care" muttered Mrs. SpooT
- endyke, trying to unite the knot of he
y shoelace with her teeth. "I don't care
= 1t will teach him another time to lt
=, poor pas picture alone, though | SUI
= pose have got to take it down to-mo
~ ~ row or he will be breaking his necl
= Anyway, he will not look well enoug
y to have another picture taken for da
- I, or too, and then perhaps we will have
~ group, and in the case of group
Or wouldn't object to putting that over II
q mantel and letting pa go between tt
a., windows, because pas dead and t
bo S wouldn't mind, anyway" And wit
~ ~ this reflection Mrs Spoopendyke disrobt
u quietly and went to bed, figuring
~ whether she would like to have the grol
A' hung with red cord, to suit Mr.. Spoo
endyke's complexion, or blue on
IIe, which would be more becoming to her
ne !e -BroOklys1 Eagle.