Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1913-04-10
WEEKLY
Short Story
THE RIDDLE cUEsSER.


By BENJAMIN NICHOLSON.
Don't tell me you cant make hin I
propose" sn0rted Mr. Poole. turuing
a scoNling face on enc OF his dausL-
tiers w1o Was nrinspiEg before a mir
ror. You doat SO az L. riEhI Get
Aim In a corner and then look at him
Just as much as to say, " hat are Jour
intentions
Bat how are yoa going 70 get him
in a cognerg
There are hundreds Of Ways Ask
aim what he bUlt his new house for.
and keep OF asking questions ABOUT Il
till you get him In a pace he cant
squirm out OF. ] know men are duh
aud uignty provoking az times. 5ut
you've goI 20 be patient and help theuD
along."
since you think Il Is so terribly
easy tC corner him. III Just give you
a chance 10 do f." snapped Miss Leah.
Il see aim coming Through the gate
Onw. I'm goiag 10 run upstairs. TEL
him ] haven't finished dressing
"Howdy. Mr. King. come right IN.
Take OF your Oyercoat. draw a chair
up 10 the FIRE and make yourself COM
Portable. Leah will De down shortly.
She's not quite through frizzing her
hair. Right cold today. isn't III How's
the folksf'
ABOUT as vel as common How're
you ally
We're all able to be Up and stir
ring around Mas complaining as
usuai. hut not much the matter with
her. i guess. / see you got the last
coat OF paint on your new house. Must
have been pretty cod up on top OF
that ladder. wasn't IL? says ! TO Leah.
the other day when I got home, II
Mr. King doesn't catch his death OF
cold. i'm De a wonder to me-"
Would you believe L.? sac got that
badly scared about you that she had
her ma make up a batch Of her cele-
bratei cold cure and then put at me
20 take it over 20 YOU. But [ told her
hat most folks had their own cold
cure and wouldn't tank OF taking any
body else's."
"But didn't get q cold"
Leah viii be mighty glad 10 hear
that PA. says she the very last thing
before she went upsurs, ~ AR. King s
got a cold, boiler up and tell me. be-
cause I'm so worried about him.
-But ] didn't get a cold"
That's too bad. er. j mean, o.
course. ith too bad that 1 went and
scared Leah So But we were talking
about your new house. what was
your terrible rush 20 get that last Goa.
OF paint Cn2 Something unusual gcins
TO happcng'
''Not that know o. just wanteS
10 get through. And nov az last n
beginning 20 feel like I was ready x
live"
Don't you need something beside.
a house2 See II you can't think o
something you're still short2"
Il can't say that / can"
Something that STAYS in the house ?
-N ell, ! got my ma 20 make out
list OF the taiBgs she thought Ia need
and D turned 1t over az Burckey'
and had them al 20 out"
Maybe the thing 1 have IN mind i
not 20 be had a. Burckey'st
4 must say IL Il cant be bought a
Burckcys IL must be something un
usual But don't tell me what 10 &:
I'm a terrible fellow for guessing rid
dies and solving puzzles and sue
like. Z never heard tel OF q riddl
that / couldn't guess"
'Well, a lot OF men have got gra
trying to solve this one; but dive IL
maybe you can I dOn't want % dis
courage you"
list found in most hOusesT'
10. not at all. Old bachelors seeI
out tnems whenever they do have on
Around it's an ugly old thing. I a
most said secondhand, but caugl
myself just ia time"
i reckon you have one7"
%. VS. four I got one before
started Housekeeping"
wow that's interestingi While
room do you keep Il in?'
For 20 years / tried 10 keep IL
the kitchen; but as I didn't seem
make no headway. ] gave up tryin
I'm just as liable 10 find mine IN Il
parlor as anywhere else"
"Is il a bOouack7 I don't thin
Burckey keeps bootjacks."
well. II a bOotjack Is supposed
make life easier for a man. then il
ike one in that respect; but it's n
DO -kfack. nor a cOokstoye. thoue
Il is supposed 10 stand around a sto'
good deal. and is just like one
that IL gets pretty warm at times"
II reckon II couldn't be a coffeepC
for Purcksy keeps them / belle
you said II made life easier for