The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-18
TALE OF A HAIR.
Good story Told by Senator Scott of
West Virainia.

4 One of the overture stories of the
last session of Congress was told in
the Cloakroom by Senator Nathan b.
Scott Of West Virginia, whose dramat-
ic mode Of narration made the tale
doubly impressive. Joe Chapple re.
tells the yarn in his National Maga.
! zine.
II seems that a judge Of his &C.
quaintance had a very charming wife,
but she was over-neat and was forever
brushing microscopic dust from his
clothes; still all went well until she
started on the hair hunt" After that
she never sat beside her husband for
five minutes but she perceived a hair
of some sort on his clothing and
hastened 10 remove g. be 1t hair OF
dog, cat or human being
About this time there came TO the
| town a long-haired lady. possibly one
of the Sutherland sisters, who sat in
/, state at one of the principal hotels
daily exhibiting her seven feet of
/ black hair to an admiring audience
I The judge was present at one OF
I these exhibitions. watched his oppor.
unity and secured hair.
He and his wife were regular at
sendants at church, and at the sun
day morning services he suffered most
from his wife hair-fnding proclivlties
Just as he composed his mind to
listen to the reading. the sermon--or
even the prayen-he would feel
sudden pluck at some part OF his
I clothing-a hair was discovered--and
so on all through the service. The
4 Judge feared that some time he would
be heard TO say a naughty word IN
church
On the Sunday after the brief visit
20 the long-haired lady, his last prep
aration for worship was singular. A
corner of his handkerchief was care
fully arranged TO peep from his coat
pocket, and showing upon the white
5ackgrgound dapgled the end of a
black hair
With marvellous patience lie endured
he searching scrutiny of the good
ady beside him; her eyes soon reached
his pocket, but a chance TO secure
the hair without attracting attention
did not arrive until the sermon began
when the Judge crossed his arms and
was evidently absorbed In the elo.
quent utterances from the pulpit A
cautious Jerk hrought away a foot OF
black hair--another yank, another
foot There was a little surprise that
The end was not reached--a third foot
came to light, then a pause to he sure
that the "hunt was unnoted a
fourth yank, still no end to that hair.
The good lady was exasperated and
yank No. was energetlc-still no end.
The thing vas like nightmare a
damp chill came over her but she
was determined and courageous
American woman-yank No. 6--desper-
alton talk about nightmare-it was
joke to this One more pull and Z
feet of hair was on the seat between
Her and The judge. 1t could not be
left there for the sexton 10 marvel
over so It was hastily thrust under the
heavy cover Of her hymn book
while she mopped the perspiratlon
from her face and fixed her eyes in
rapt attention on the face Of the min
izter deyoutly hoping that the hair
hunt" had been unobserved by the con
gregaiion.
Quietly the judges hand slipped
down to the hymn hook--a moment
and the hair was in his pocket-no
matter if 1t broke now. The sermon
ended, the ireful lady grasped the
book with relentless grip. holding on
for dear life as she walked home, con-
cocting scathing sentences to be ut
tered in the privacy Of homo-no word
Of the judges pleasant conversation
was heard.
The front door closed behind them.
William, what did you have in
your coat pocket this morning?"
The judge looked al her with an in.
8 nocent and questioning gaze.
: "You had this, she went on, stern,
ly, opening up sh9 cover ~ tne nymn
book There was the fiyleaf with the
name written on it-nothing more-ab
solutely nothing more. She turned
pale and stared blankly at her hus
band.
Gould have lost it?" she said
, family.
you could not have lost a spec Of
Gust from that book coming home
. Mary" he gravely assured her. q
law the extraordinary way you grip
ped it. What did you think was in
side?"
"ThInk"-she said, Indignantly
know had hair there-yards long
md she told the whole story.
The Judge surveyed her, moro Il
sorrow than anger"
my dear. you have imagined th'