Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-09-30
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Mystery


The side of your head doesn't
look just natural" observed the real
estate man. 1T locks as tho some
body had mistaken You for a chop
ping block and used you accordingly.
III you hear sort Of bubbling.
kissing sound you will know its my
blood boiling" said the horse doe
tor. "A man couldn't be any more
indignant than | am and recover
from it, Last night | was the vic
tim Of a most unheard of and mys-
teriOus outrage.
II had been sitting up with a pa
tient. sick mule belonging to Judge
Bashwelter, and was walking home
along about midnight As | passed
the entrance to an alley man leaned
from the shadows and punched my
head with great dexterty. | flatter
myself on being difficult man 10
whip when the luck breaks even, but
In this case | was SO surprised that
my assailant had delivered several
haymakers before could even hit
an attitude Then he vanished as
abruptly AS he had appeared. He
simply faded away into the alley. and
there was no use pursuing him there.
why did he scale my person in
this manner? Why did he jump on
me like IA thousand OF brick without
a word OF warning? I'd give my fam
lily COW to know who he was and
what WAS his motive"
whats the use OF such vulgar
curiosity?" inquired the justice OF the
peace. Man must forever know the
why OF everything that happens, and
it seems absurd. Whoever your as
sailant was, he did a workmanlike
lob. and that should be enough for
you to know.
Now that the affair is shrauded IN
mystery, ii will be somcthinS to &C.
cupy your mind during leisure hours
You can speculate over it for days
together and have good time imas-
lining what you would do to the mis-
creant IL you had him in fence cor
ner. You also have something a 1T
lie different, little melodramatic, to
talk about People who are tired OF
hearing about the war and the con
servation Of things will be glad to
hear you spring your thrilling mar
rative. 1t will be interesting just so
long as it remains a mystery. The
minute the narrowing facts are
known and the identity and motive
of the villain revealed your story will
become tlreSome.
III somebody swatted my dome in
such manner I'd consider ysen
celebrity and govern myself accord
inggly, and Id apply for an injunction
against any sleuth who tried 10 I'M
ravel the mystery. But the years
have brought me wisdom, while you
are young and full Of silly impulses.
Its a curious thing that man must
always know the why Of everything
that happens. We'd be great deal
happier if we'd just take things as
they come, without wondering or in.
curing. Last summer went to the
hencoop one morning and found that
somebody had stolen a halfdozen of
INV hest chickens
Il casually mentioned the matter
to Potiphar, neiehbor, that morn
ing. He supposed I'd call the police or
import lot of sleuths from New
York, but ! said | would't worry over
a few chickens Perhaps the man
who swiped them needed them for his
bedridden aunts. wasn't curious TO
know who he was or why he took
them. Potiphar dug up s. and said
he wanted to pay for those chickens.
He had been stealing poultry for
years, he said. and | was the first
loser he ever knew who was a dead
game sport"