The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-13
. HE case Of Loop VS.. Loop was
docketed for the September

town, through the columns of the
Banner, that Eliphalet Loop had
brought suit for divorce against his
wife Anna, the town experienced q
CONFUSION that bore symptoms OF
continuing without abatement until
snow fell. and perhaps-dependin
on the evidence produced-through-
out the entire winter. For Eliphalet
In accusing his wife, was obliged to
state in his bill that the identity and
whereabouts Of said correspondent
were at present unknown to COM
piainant. AS Mrs. Loop emphatically
some said pitefully-declined to
satisfy the curiosity of Mr.. Loop, and
the whole of Tinkletown as well
speculation took such an impatient
attitude toward her that Eliphalet
had he been minded to do SO, could
have made use of any one of three
hundred names in a village Boosting
an adult male population of three
hundred and seventeen. Husbands
who had been In the habit OF loafng
around the village stores for couple
of hours after supper, winter and
summer, now felt constrained to re-
main later than usual for fear that
evil-minded persons outstaying them
might question the statement that
they were going home, and many q
wife who was seldom awake after
nine stayed up until the man Of the
house was safely inside, where she
could look at him with an intentness
so strange that he began to develop
ferocious hatred for Mrs. Loop.
The town marshal, Anderson Grow
encountering the lugubrious Eliph
alet in front of DR.. Browns office
early one morning several weeks
after the filing of the complaint, put
this question to him:
''See here, Lift, why in thunder
don't you make that wife o. YOUR
tell who tits she's been carryin' or
WITH"
Mr.. Loop was not offended. He
was not even embarrassed.
"'Cause l amt spealrin' to hel
nowadays, that's why"
"But you got right to speak tc
her, amt you? She's Twin In the
same house with you, amt she? An
It's your house, amt til Stand III
to her. Show her you got little
spunk."
"I been Twin IN the barn, Ander
son. on the advice of my lawyer. HI
says as long as she won't git out, I've
got to. Been sleepin' out there fol
the last three weeks"
"The point u.s." broke IN Anderson
firmly, this wife of yourn is causin
d great deal of misery in town, Lift
Sometimes got to be done about it. :
> 'Ie Rin,ts askin' anybody to. shart
my misery with me-" said Mr.. LooI
with some asperity.
Anderson looked at him sorrow
fully. well. you can't say I didn't
warn you. Lift"
Warn me about what?"
"'Bout advertiser fer wife.
told you no good could come Of it
An now I guess you'll agree that
was right"
"Oh, shucksi Anna was as good
a woman as ever had, Andy Grow
an 1 don't know as I ever had bet
ter worker around the place. Eel
two years she"
He choked up and began to snifi1e
"There amt no denyin' the fac
she lasted longer'n any of 'em,
agreed Anderson. II don't just ex
actly remember how many funerals
you've had, Lift, but-say, just Out
O. curiosity, how many have you had
Me an Mrs. Crow had dispute about
1t last evenin'."
"It's cost me lot O. money, Andsf.
son, a turrible lot o. money" groaneo
E1iphalet, IAN nothin'-absolutely
nothin'-to show fer it! No chill
dren. no-nothtn' but mothers-in,
laws an tombstones. By gosh, why
Is it mother-in-laws last SO long!
I'VE got five mother-in-laws Twin
this minute, an the good Lord knows
I never done anything to encourage
'em. I've lost four wives an not
single mother-in-law."
/ Lets git back to the main ques
ton" said Anderson unfeelingly. HI
didn't have much use for Eliphalet
"What fer sort of lookin' Teller Il
this man your wife,s been carryin'H OF
with"
We'll" began Mr.. Loop, squirting
his bleary eyes refectfvely, Il ain
never seen him 'cept when he wa
runnin', an it was after dark besides
Twice seen him jump out Of one o
our back winders when | got hom'
eariier'n usual from lodge-meetin'
First time I made out he was ;
burglar an hustled in to see If h
had took anything. Well, after
went to the burey an found the peck
etbook all safe, asked Anna If she't
heard anybody tryin' to get il
through the <winder. She looked
kinder funny-likel fer .second er tw'
an then said no, she hadn't Wha
set me thinkin' har6er'n ever wa
/, f,ndin' a mans ha, in my room
lhangin' on the bn:k of chair
thinks /, that's migssy funny-spe
cially AZ the hat wasn'' naino.
F, s-What kind of hat was it?" 'qucs
tioned Anderson, taking out his note
book and pencil. Describe it care
fully, Lift"
III was a grey fewdory." said Mr.
Loop.
"Brins II down to my osice, Lin
SOS c- examine 1t carefully. NOW
when I'D Ss<. next see this man?
e'Last n.:.s seen a man streakln
through tho s.otato-patch lickety-spll
some'erca round nine o'clock. IL
WIS cnri,f-i' bundle an was al
stouped cye.., yelled at him to stol
er ia ara. That seemed TO make hin
III iittlo faster. SO took af,e
hac., an run smack into Anna comm
roand the corner OF the hen-roos'
eoon m / got my BREATH I asked he