Evening journal., 1898-02-26
Ir wAs A srIFF PuzzLE.

1T WAS A S1lFF PUZZLE.
There is a member of fashionable So
ciety In town who bites his lip every
time he sees q bunch of rings Some
evenings ago he called on a fair young
woman who lives ON Washington
street. There were several other call
ers there that evening. and everybody
had a jolly good time-at least the
Wayfarer is so informed.
In some manner the subject of puZ-
zlc8 came up. and the young man vol
unteered the information that he had
never tackled a puzzle which he coulo
not do, from the old sixteen puZzle
down to those of the present day.
Il have one that none of us have
been able to do said his fair young
hostess. 1--WE have tried and tried and
tried, but with no success whatever.
Papa has tried, and brother and all the
rest OF us have spent lots OF time on ii,
but with no result other than TO tire
ourselves out"
"Ill bet You pound Of candy that
/ can do IT, said the young man.
I'm take your bet" she replied. "Ex-
cuse me, please while go and get the
puzzle"
The girl then slipped out, got her
puzzle, went to her work basket. Sc
locted a little piece of bright ribbon.
and tied Il in a bow 10 the bunch OF
rings. That removed from IL the look
OF dOmesticity.
Here It is" she said, re-enterlng the
panlor. and holding the bunch alOft
He took it from her hand.
What Is the puzzle?" he asked.
,sftt ttrf4I
out breaking or bending amy OF them,
she responded
"The same Old trick" he said con-
temptuously. II have done it many a
time, hut not exactly in this form; the
principle is the same, however, in an
these ring and link puzzles. While you
folks are playing cards / Will show you
how this is done"
He settled himself down and worked
industrlOusly to solve the problem. He
turned and twisted the rings and tried
each individual one. but without avail
The smile he saw ON the faces of all
others in the room made him the more
determined without ar0using his suspi-
cions
For three-Quarters Of an hour he
worked away and his hostess began tc
feel pity for him.
''How are you getting along?" she
asked:
"Fnely," ne answered. 81 almost had
II moment ago, but one OF the links
Slipped from my fingers and spoiled il
ALL Don't You fret about me- for
shall eat candy at your expense"
IF you wculd rather play cards, you
may take the puzzle home with you
and return It tp-mawow evening" sh'
said
He grasped at the suggestion, stowet
the thing in his pocket, and was soor
engaged in playing whist
AT the breakfast table the next morn,
ing he bethought him of the puzzle TAX
ing ii from his overcoat pocket he be
gan to work on IL while waiting fol
some warm cakes to come in.
What have you there?" asked hii
mother.
"a puzzle" he responded, giving it &
shake
Whose is it?" she asked, cycling i
suspiciously
"Clara loaned it to me- he said.
"Ilet me see it,"
Mother, you can't do it, for I hav,
been trying for two or three hours"
Cant do what?" She asked, taking
It from his extended hand
Get all the links apart, he said.
why, you simpleton, that's not
puzz.e-thats nothing but one Of thes,
new-fangled chain dishcloths," sh'
said you have let that girl make
fool of YOU"
What"
81 say that it is a chain dishciOth, an,
that she has made a fool of you." sail
the mother.
"lmpOzsible!" he exclaimed.
ELIZA" said the mother. addressin.
the cook, bring in that chain iish
cloth CT ours"
Eliza did so, and the young man wa
convinced.
He looked first at one and then a
the other. They were identical in ever
particular
Bob, old boy, you've been tricled, h
sOlhoQuized, as he laid down the tw
lunches of links and took another hC
cake "and it's dam mean treatment {
receive at any girls hands"
Then he remembered what q bras
gart he had been, and his true natuT
began working out the girls vindics
tion and acquittal.