The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-08-12
ENDED HAIR HUNT
CLEVER RUSE BROUGHT PEACE
TO SUFFERING JUDGE.
In Eloquent Speech Learned Jurist
Convinced Wife That Seven'Foot
Strand of Hair Existed Only
in Her imagination.

One OF the overture stories OF the
last session OF congress was told In
the cloak room by Senator Nathan Il.
Scott of West Virginia.
II seems that Judge of his ac'
auaintance had a very charming wife,
but she was over-neat. and was Tor
ever brushing microscopic dust from
his clothes; still all Went well until
she started on the hair hunt Alter
that she never sat beside her husband
for five minutes but she perceived a
hair of some sort on his clothing, and
fastened to remove it, be 1t hair OF
dog, cat, or human being.
About this time there came to the
town a long,haired iady 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
aratlon 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
third foot came to light, then
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
Ike a niehtmare--a damp chill came
over her. but she was a determined
and courageous American woman
yank number siX--desperation-talk
about nightmare was 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 it was hastily thrust under the
heavy cover of her hymn book.
Quietly the judges hand slipped
down to the hymn hoOk-a moment
and the hair was in his pocket-no
matter If It 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 fyleat with the
name neatly written on it-nothing
absolutely nothing more. She
turned pale and stated blankly at her
husband.
Could | have lost it," she said
family.
You could not have lost speck of
dust from that book coming home,
Mary he gravely assured her =
saw the extraordinary way YOU grippcd
It. What did you think was insde?"
Think she said Indignantly
know I had a hair thcre-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
as any ever addressed to the |
listeners in crowded combination |
al Magazine.