Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-07-09
ENDED HAIR HUNT
CLEVER RusE BROUGHT PEACE
TO SUFFERING JUDGE.
In Eloquent Speech Learned Juris'
Convinced Wife That seven-Foot
strand Of Hair Existed Only
In Her Imagination.

IN nor tWd8iHatious
One of the overture stories of the
last session of congress was told In
the cloak room by Senator Nathan B.
Scott of West Virginia.
1t seems that Judge OF his &C
quaintance had very charming wife
but she was over-neat. and was for
ever 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
hair of some sort on his clothing, and
fastened to remove II, be 1t hair oil
dog, cat, or human being.
About this time there came to the
town a long-haired lady daily exhibit
ing her seven feet of black hair to an
admiring audience. The Judge was
present at one of these exhibitions
watched his opportunity and secured
a hair.
On the Sunday after his brief visit
to 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
background, dangled an end OF black
hair.
With marvellous patience he endured
the searching scrutiny OF the good
lady beside him; her eyes soon
reached his pocket, but chance to Sc
cure the hair without attracting at.
tention did not arrive until the ser
mon began, when the judge crossed
his arms and was evidently absorbed
In the eloquent utterances from the
pulpit. A cautious jerk brought away
a foot Of black hair-another yank, an.
other foot There was little sur
prise that the end was not reached
a third foot came to light, then a
pause to be sure that the hunt" was
unnoted. A fourth yank, still no end
to that hair. The good lady was exas
perated and yank number five was en-
ergetic-still no end. The thing was
like nightmare-a damp chill came
over her, but she was determined
and courageous American woman
yank number six-desperation-t
about nightmare-it was a joke to
this! One more pull and seven feet
of hair was on the seat between her
and the Judge. 1t could not be left
there for the sexton to marvel over.
so 1t was hastily thrust under the
heavy cover of her hymn book.
Quietly the judges hand slipped
down to the hymn book-a moment
and the hair was In his pocket-no
matter II 1t broke now. The sermon
ended, the ireful lady grasped the
book with relentless grip, holding on
for dear life as she walked home.
The front door closed behind them.
William, what did you have in your
coat pocket this morning."
The Judge looked at her with an
innocent and questioning gaze.
You had this" she went on, sternly.
opening up the cover of the hymn
book There was the fyleaf with the
name neatly written on it-nothing
more-absolutely nothing more. She
turned pale and stared blankly at her
husband.
Gould have lost it?" she said,
family.
You could not have lost speck Of
dust from that book coming home,
Mary" he gravely assured her. Il
saw the extraordinary way you gripped
1t. What did you think was inside?"
"Think"-she said, indignantly-"I
know l had hair the.e-yards long"
and she told the whole story.
The Judge surveyed her, more in
sorrow than anger"
my dear, you have imagined the
whole thing; this hair hunting Is be-
coming a positive mania with you,"
and he proceeded with a speech as
eloquent as any ever addressed to the
listeners in a crowded court.-Nation-
al Magazine.