Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-11-07
A Detectives Dis coyery.

"Where did these burs come from?'
and Mrs. Popperman pulled three rea
Old-faShioned burs from her husband:
coat as he lay on the lounge the othel
evening.
Now, it would have been very easy
for Mr.. Popperman 10 have told where
the burs came from, but he thought II
would be good joke to mystify his
wife, so he pretended to be surprised.
"I-I-don'U know"
"Have you been in the country to
day?"
'No."
"Well, it's very singular how a bust
ness man can get burs on his clothes in
New York;
"Well, I'll tell you. The health Off
| GERS have planted burdock bushes on
Broadway to purify the air and prevent
the horses from having the blind stag,
gers. Sometimes l brush up agains,
these bushes"
''Ohl" Mrs. Popperman eyed hel
husband suspiciously, but said nothing
| more.
The next morning two more burs
were picked from his pants.
Now, L want to know what this
means. l went to New Y FORK yesterday
on purpose, to see if there was bushes
on Broadway. There wasn't one.
Now, want an explanation.
"Well, I'll tell you, my dear. These
are burs. They are the fruit of re-
markable tropical plant which is now
on exhibition at the Fifth Avenue HO.
tel This plant is twenty feet high.
Occasionally go into the hotel, and,
while standing under the leaves of this
plant, the fruit, which resembles burs,
drops on my Clothes"
"What is the name of this singular
plant?"
1.-The botanical name is Lumty tum
olius."
After Mr.. Popperman had departed
the next day his wife sought a detec.
tive.
my husband comes home every night
with burs on his clothes. Now [ want
you to follow him and find out where
he goes"
The detective undertook to solve the
mystery. No burs on Mr.. Popperman' S
clothes that night-nor the next. The
third night he returned with the usual
complement. The next day the detec-
tive called upon Mrs. Popperman.
1--we discovered alil''
"What! Is my husband then false to
me? Does he go to the country to visit
some woman, or does he spend his after
moons at Central Park?"
81 followed your husband two DAYS.
He attended strictly to his business.
The third day he left his office about
2 O'Clock, and''-
"Went in the country"
mo ma'am. He came to Brooklyn
and rode to the vacant lot which he has
Just purchased on Schermerhorn street.
While experimenting the erection of a
fence around the lot he often came in
contact with the burdock bushes, and
there is where he gets the burs."
''Oh, am so glad. You have done
your work well. Good day, sir.'
That evening when Mr.. Popperman
returned his wife threw her arms around
his neck and said: MY dear, Pm Sc
glad to know that you are not a villain. u
"What do you mean?"
"Well, about those burs, you know.
l put a detective on your track and he
told me that you got the burs in that
lot on Schermerhorn Street, and that
you are innocent.
"Ha! Ha! So you put detective on
my track, did you?''
"Yes.n
''Good joke" and Mr.. Popperman
laid back in his chair and fairly roared
with laughter.
'Yes, dear, and here's the detectives
bill, which you have got to pay"
''To shadowing Mr.. Popperman for
three days, at 50 per day, S27.
The laughter subsided, and for an
hour it was so quiet that You could
have heard bur drop.