Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-11-14
A DETECTIVES DISCOVERY.
How Mrs. P0pperm II Grew Suspicion
over n Mysterious Isur.

How Mrs. PoDperm II Grew Suspicious
over n Mysterious Nur.
"Where did these burs come from %
and Mrs. Popperman pulled three real
old-fashioGed burs from her husbands
coat as he lay on the lounge the other
evening.
Now, it would have been very easy
for Mr.. Popperman to have told where
the burs came from, but he thought it
would be a good joke to mystify his
wife, so he pretended to be surprised,
'I~-I-don't know"
"IIave you been into the country
to-day"
mo"
"Woll, it's very singular how bust
ness man can get burs on his clothes in
New York
"Well, I'll tell you. The health OIL.
GERS have planted burdock bushes on
Broadway to purify tie air and pre-.
vent the horses from having the blind
staggers. Sometimes | brush up
against these bushes
"Oh" Mrs. Popperman eyed her
husband suspiciously, but said nothing
more.
The next morning two more burs
were picked from his pants.
"Now, I want to know what this
means. went to New York yester-
day on purpose to see if there were
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
hotel, 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 rame of this singular
plant"
"The botanical name is Lumty tum
olius."
After Mr.. Popperman had departed
the next day his wife sought detect
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.. Pepper
mans clothes that night--nor the next.
The third night he returned with the
usual complement The next day the
detective called upon Mrs. Popperman.
81 have discovered all. | followed
your husband two days. lie attended
strictly to his business. The third day
he left his Office about o'clock, and
"Went into the country"
"No, ma'am. lie 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, l am 50 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 so glad to know that you are not a
villain"
what do you mean"
"Well, about those burs, you know.
| put detective on your track and he
told me that you got the burs in that
lot on Schermerhorn street, and that
you are innocent
"IIa! ha. SO you put detective on
my track, did YOU"
"Yes."
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, $27."
The laughter subsidized, and for an
hour it was so quiet that you could
have heard bur drop.