Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-02-24
Their Ladder
%-l-s4-ta-s-l-s-s-s4-s-k4t-sl-ts-s.s-s-e-a


gan Mrs. Justly, are certainly borrow
ers. Today she camo and took my
gas plate to prepare lunch on, and
when she found out how quickly
let her have that she came back and
got four eggs to cook on it."
Justly paused with spoonful OF
soup balanced on the edge of the bowl
You're the original easy mark" he
charged. "If you really want to get
rid of them it's einch. Now, know
from past experience that there isn't
a thing in this house that isn't dupli-
Gated by worn out, cast off article
just like it. We've got a collection OF
junk in our second best assortment
that couldn't be matched this side of
the European war zone. The next
time they want to borrow something
just give them whatever they ask for
from the junk collection. I'll warrant
they won't be so anxious to have W
lend IL you try that"
"But, Henry" Mrs. Justly objected.
$50 much OF that stuff isn't fit to use.
II we lend them something unfit for
StINlCt we It ISdly bOIEOWlu tIOV-
BILE. They might"
"There You co." broke IN Justly,
"Are you trying to get lid u item
or make fast friends Of them or whatf
Leave this scheminG to me; lust do
as tell sou and I'll take all respon-
sibility."
Mrs. Justly accepted unwfllingly.
She said no more at the moment, but
when Justly got home next evening
she :--et him at the door. Henry
Justly" she snapped, II never acted
on one of your suggestions in my life
that didn't get into trouble. You've
got about as much good sense in your
makeup as a counterfeit dollar. Why"
Didn't it work." queried Justly.
"She came over this morning to
borrow a stepladder to hang some
pictures with" went on Mrs. Justly.
ignoring the question, so / thought
I'd Just give your plan trial. went
down into the cellar and got out the
old stepladder that you fell thru when
you were putting up the screens last
spring. She didn't seem any too wen
satisfied, but I didn't say one word
about our good ladder, so she took It.
"About fifteen minutes later heard
q terrible Shrek and a racket like Q
china closet falling down stairs. Mrs.
Newcomer is a large woman and I
knew that she was hanging the pio-
lures. l simply had to go and see
whether she was killed.
"Of course when got there found,
| just as l expected, that she had brok-
| en- thru that ladder. The step had
come right out of place and she had
stepped on the floor In a sitting pe-
sition ard the big picture had come
down and struck her with such force
that her head poked right through It.
81 felt so abject because had Civ
en- her that dangerous thing that Z
| just"
Hold on" interrupted Justly. That's
enough. have learned that the
scheme worked, and that's about an
I care to know. I'll venture she has
MT been back to borrow anything else.
And II know anything about human
nature she won't he back, either"
"If you were as smart as you think
you are" replied Mrs. Justly. evenly,
you'd have wit enough to wait untA
finish. said felt sorry for herr
and as she was barked and skinne4
| here and there l thought I'd betteR
act MS nurse and patch her up Whsa
l asked her where she kept her msdt
cines, she said she didn't have any,
so had to lend her the most of my
darling rst-aid-to-the-injured chest,
| And when l got her fixed SO that she
could get around comfortably she d.
cided that a bone in her arm miShe
be broken. so she came over with me
and used our phone to call the doctos.
when the doctor came he said -
bone was broken. but he thought u
would be hest for her to rest, for the
afternoon at least. When he'd gone
she began to cry and explained to me
that she had been trying to get the
pictures hung because she was SH
pecting some of her husbands people
and that they were just the fussiese
things imaginable.
81 never could endure seeing q fak
woman cry, and when she said che
didn't know what in the world Bh0
was going to do had to offer to hsAa
those pictures for her.
"And now want to tell you enc
thing. Henry Justly, II you think was
going TO risk my precious neck q
that old patched IN ladder you're nais-
taken, that's all! I slipped home and
got our good ladder and to save my
face I had to tell her I borrowed q
from the Hensleys. She thanked Re
profusely and said in that case not
to bother about 1t any more. as she
would return It to them direct whsa
she got thru with It."
"Great Suns!" exploded Justly.
"Don't Won know George HenslOy