The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-01-28
Mystery Of the s. Tie

room where sat his wife and mother.
Il can't find my new IS tie, with the
orange splashes in it,"
"orange!" echoed his wife guiltily.
"Did-didn't Harold have on orange
socks this morning."
whats that got to do with my
tie?" demanded her husband. Then he
became galvanized with horror.
'Hah!" he shouted. "Do you mean to
tell me that young snip is wearing my
ties? Has he taken to proving thru
my chiffonier drawers? won't have
it. I tell you! Where is he? Where's
my new tie?"
'Harolds got it or" the mans
mother announced to him, calmly.
Now, Henry, there's no need of your
acting as tho you were about to have
an apoplectic stroke! Your son has
an attack OF the 15s, and you may as
well make up your mind to grin and
bear it! Don't open your mouth that
way-it makes you look like pick
erel! I mean that he is Is years old,
and if you have any sense at all you'll
realize that he has simply got to
splurge. He's probably observed that
there are girls on earth;s and this sur
prising fact has driven him to socks
and ties.
1--WE been noticing it for some
weeks" the mans mother continued.
eff Harold can get on silk socks and
a tie to match he doesn't care a par
ticle if he hasn't washed behind his
ears in week. In fact, he's rather
glad he hasn't, because it gives him
more time to devote to ties and socks.
Likewise it doesn't annoy him in the
least that his shoes have seen no pol
Ssh for a month! He considers he has
done his duty in sartcrfal way by
attending to his neck and ankles. OF
course, as you are about to point out,
he has a draWerful of'ties of his own,
but that makes no difference. Prob
ably his own orange tie was shade
out of harmony with the socks and
he'd have died at the disgrace had he
worn it. Also, your ties are more ex-
pensiYe and, consequently more desi-
rable, and how on earth was he to
dream that you would choose today of
all days to want your tie with or
ange splashes? 1t didn't seem posi-
BILE to him that with all those dozens
at your command you would be mean
enough to decide on the orange one!"
"Ive been noticing for some tile"
the man said grimly, that ties that
put away freshly pressed looked oddly
wrinkled and as tho they had been
knotted upI The nerve of him!"
"Well,' went on the mans mother,
aft you'd looked harder you'd prob
ably have found holes in your best
socks, too! You see, sometimes II
happens that Harold has ties with no
socks to match"
docs he wear my silk socks, too?"
inquired the man. why, I'll"
Its not that they are your socks"
explained his mother, patiently. "Har-
old merely desires certain socks, sees
them and naturally reaches out and
takes them! If you were drowning
and a life preserver floated within
reach, do you think, Henry Simpkins,
that you would pause to turn it over
and over to ascertain whether the
owners name was stamped on IT?
Well, neither does Harold! Have you
seen him in his pink socks and tie
striped to match? Haven't you OBJ
served him Wednesdays in his green
suit, lavender socks and lavender tie.
carbuncle stick pin and purple zin-
mia in his buttonhole?"
"Thunder!'' groaned Harold's IA
Their, aghast. .sWhy didn't you stop
him? Does he get past the police in
that kind of outfit? And why We'd
nesday?"
Harold seems awfully fond of that
little Hansmore girl said the mans
wife. HE goes to see her every We'd
nesday now
"Oh, my grief" moaned the man,
sitting down, collar in hand, and star
ing. "You don't mean the kid has
girl? Why. Iql--why, won't have
it! T."
Eyes, you will, Henry Simpkins!"
the mans mother told him firmly.
Because you can't help yourself!
Harold's going to have girls and ties
and socks, oceans of 'em, and you've
got to stand for it, OF course it's an
moving"
"Annoying!" said the man, return
ing afresh to his grievance. II tell
you l paid SO for that tieI I'll bet
he spills ice cream soda down It'll I'll
tan him If he does! Why didn't you
make him take it off when You saw
him with it on?"
II didn't see him." said the mans
mother calmly.
HUH" said the man in amaze
ment. Then how did you know he
had it onl"
Il knew right away where 1t was
when you said you couldn't find it,"
his mother declared cheerfully you
see. raised boy myself once and
there was time when he was is
years old, tooi'
-