The Washington times., 1908-05-16
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PRIDE GOETH BEFORE THE FALL
WHEN PLAYING DIABOLO; THE
MORAL Is DON'T"

slCllfuuy balanced 10 be twirled on
the string That's the trick OF it."
Nonsense! Don't you suppose q fell
low who was the greatest 20J-yard
sprinter at college. who can play tennis
and is a crack at golf, who has shot
as many redhead ducks in a day on the
Susquehanna fats as any fellow ever
did. who has played every game from
tidcledy winks 10 bridge, knows all
about this little old thing that the chi
neEe invented more than q million years
ago. the man demanded wrathfuIIy.
And his wife did not reply. for she Is
a wise woman n her generation one
merely sat IN an easy chair and watch
ed her better-haIf drop that spool.
After he had dropped II some dozens Of
times and had uttered all sorts and
conditions or CALCULATIONS, he managed
10 keep IL on the spool for period OF
FOUR minutes running Then he looked
up, with tie perspiratiOn running on
his brow, and made q baretaced de-
mana for our admiration. We'll, well;
am 1 doing splendidly OF notT' he
cried. do you think anyone could do
much better than / with SO little prac-
tice and a defective spool to boot?"
But Il is not spinning objected his
wife lazily.
Not spinning?'' cried the man and
looked down to where the diabolic spool
was merely juggling on the cord and not
turning at all
I win master this thing - # takes
ali summer said the man between his
clenched teeth.
Wife Just Too Sweet.
When you get to the place where
you are sufficiently expert 10 toss it In
the air you will go out OF doors, won't
you, dearT' asked his wife with as
sumed sweetness.
The man glared, but d!d not reply, FOR
at that moment the spool had tumbled
OF and rolled under the bookcase, ana
he was prone on the floor fishing It out
with one Of the handles.
.'W1ll you stop Tor dinner when II is
ready?'' asked. jibing him q bit on my
II won't stop" said this new victim
to the charms of the toy, until have
proved to my own satisfaction tnaL
mind IS superior 10 matter; not until i
have shown you that intellect enters
avaD into a frivolous thing of this sort,
and that I can and will master it.
At 6 o'clock the man was still work
inc his face pale with fatigue, and at
HAT hour he had not yet succeeded in
making the spool twirl properly; much
less was he able 70 toss II In ne al
and catch II on one of the sticks. At
e.2D he was ready 70 drop with fatigue
ana 10 give I'D the ship when entered
Ressie. unannounced and unexpected
BESSIE is eight and has lost one of her
front teeth Also she has red hair and
frecEIes and has not yet been discOv-
cred to be of gigantic intellect Bessie.
with a whoOp and the Ill manners OF
the period, grabbed DiabOlO from the
hands Of her remote relative and mer-
rilv did she make it perform all its
tricks At her bidding the spool twirled
and spun; tossed as high as the cell
inc it fell back on the string and con-
finued its gyrations: anon il ran up the
stick and then down again, ike the
mouse in the famous clock. But it was
an old. old story 70 Bessie, and so
shortly she grew tired of It and went
running out 20 joiG her little friends.
TT IS a InaHgn toy" said the man
heavily. 'eWell was IL named 'DiabOlO.'
I hone (to his Wife, that you will give
the thing either to some deserving child
or to our dearest enemy among grown
ups. If to the latter, It will cause him
| TO end his days in sorrow trying to
work the thing. It IS beneath The dig
nifty of anyone with intellect to bother
with it." LEONORE CALVERT.