The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-07-23
A TRAMP'S GIFT.

AekAnA4 ~ 04I o
1t was at the hour when the shades
OF night begin to fall and the curses
wander homeward to roost The
weary wayfarer gave a last gulp and
said:
Il car not repay you in scudi. for
your kindness madam. But here is a
little puzzle which may serve to while
away an idle hour My father. left a
widower ut the age of forty seven.
married maiden OF seventeen. and
upon the following day my brother
Lyman welded her mother. then a
widow OF thirty-six. In due time a
son was born to each couple 1t may
afford you some little amusement in
estimating the various relationships
my father now bears to Lyman. to
Lyman's wife, and Lyman child; also
to himself and wife aud child. You
might also calculate the relationship
Lyman bears to his own wife and
child and to his father and the latters
vile and child. But must be on my
way. Good EVENING" And he was
gone. -
When Isham G. Hicks. the husband
OF the benevolent lady. returned home
somewhat later. he found the wife OF
his bosom suffering from a violent
headache the result OF an hours
graphing with the puzzle. She re-
peated 1t TO him and retired much
carrier than was her. won't And
Isham G. laughed aloud and declared
that woman had no head. anyhow
and sat him down to work out the
puzzle in fourteen inmates, -.
When Mrs Hicks: awoke in the
gray Of the morning. her husband
was not by her side. As she stepped
quietly to the sitting-room door. she
heard him say in dreary monotone:
'Lyman's-baby Is - the - half,
brother-of-his- fathers step-mo-
ther-who-i s-also-his- s.
step straightforward his-mother's-
and-oh-dear-m mellow
-my-head-aches
The leaves OF a huge scratch tablet
lay about him. like a drift of snow
all covered with figures and diagrams
and before him a sheet setting forth
fourteen propositions, Of which the
following is fair samples: -
The older man is the fatber-in-
law of his mother IN law and the hus-
band Of his grandson's half sister, who
is also the child's step grand. mother.
Wisps OF auburn hair lay about on
the table
Hicks remained In bed all that fore
noon. with ice on his brow. and NUT
tered drearily sentences like these:
His wife Is his babys half-broth-
ers half-nephew's mothers son-in-
law--no that isn't it! His sons wife
Is his own mother-in-law and mother
OF his grandson's half-sister-um! UNI!
His mother-in-la is-oh, dear me"
In the afternoon he went down to
the lumber yard and told the puzzle
to the men there assembled. ard they
all laughed him to scorn. and then
figured over the smooth side OF thirty
six square feet Of lumber had three
fights. without getting SO far as
Hicks had gone in the still watches Of
the night A husbandman who had
drifted in to trade horses became in
volved. and beat his steed all the way
home
Meanwhile. Mrs Hicks sprung the
puzzle at the sewing circle that after
noon. and the minister ran up against
1t and fell. and thus 1t was spread all
over town. The children took 1t to
school and noored the teacher and
there was q grand strappihg carnival
all one afternoon. Customers sprung
Il in the stores. The barber sprung
1t on a patient and cut off his ear in
the controversy that ensued. A gen.
tleman and book-agent tore their
clothes over it. Young Walter Sap
smith ran up against IL when he
called upon Miss Begad. and. after an
hours wrangle the engagement which
had existed between them for eight
months was declared OF amid sobs
and contumely. 1t got into Jail and
four prisoners escaped while the sher-
iff and three more prisoners were
graphing with it. The malefactors
stopped in the woods and tackled the
puzzle and were captured half a day
later still entangled in the snare A
merchant introduced IL to drummer
and won the sample-trunk and head
OF tho latter. both OF which he had
wagered on his ability to solve the
puzzle inside OF twelve minutes The
Rev. Mr.. Harps worked on the puzzle
all Saturday night when he should
have been writing his sermon and
electrified his congregation next day
by saying:
..And now. fourthly. my brethren.
Lyman's father was his wife's son-in-
law, and-er-heml We will stand
and receive the benediction-"
An unwonted clamor proceeded
from the w. G. T. u. hall and
eighteen different shades OF hair blew
out OF the window. Sing Yek. late
OF Hong Kong received the puzzle
from his Sunday school teacher.
neglected his work all day, broke his