Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 103, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1918 — THEY HAVE A DARK SECRET [ARTICLE]

THEY HAVE A DARK SECRET

Husband and Brother-In-Law Feast and Smash Piece of China, Which la Mysteriously Replaced. Since the coming of the X-ray and the perfecting of the Bertlllon system dark secrets have lost vogue. Yet occasionally one of them does escape the keenest vigilance and flourishes with all the old-time mystery, according to the Kansas City Star. Mrs. Miller has a set of chinaware, the real creamy ware that the light shines through. It Is very old. Mrs. Miller inherited it She also inherited the proud right to boast that not one piece had ever been broken. Mrs. Miller went away. Mr. Miller entertained his brother-in-law while she was gone. There were other relatives that he might have entertained, but in an unguarded moment he chose his brother-in-law. One night they made a feast They baked a great number of things all in one pan. when it came out of the oven it seemed to demand- that it should all be served on one plate. Mr. Miller looked over the supply of dishes that had been left out for his use and there was really nothing that would contain it. A wild spirit of revelry seized Mr. Miller. “We will do the thing up right” he shouted. He went boldly into the china closet and brought out the very largest platter. When the meal was ended, Mr. Miller’s brother-in-law suggested dish washing. Mr. Miller did not favor the plan, but finally yielded to it against his better judgment. What happened was quite natural „ r The platter slipped and fell and broke. After all the yean, after all the family pride and care I From that night on those two men took up and carried about with them a dark secret, for this is what they did ■ each carrying a piece of that platter, they went from one China store to another until they found its duplicate. They carried it home and brought in a woman to wash it and replace it on the shelf of the china closet. Now when Mrs. Miller entertains her friends and one of them says: “How I envy you these beautiful dishes, and It is sq remarkable that not one* has ever been broken,” Mr. Miller and his brother-in-law sit with a far away loqk in their eyes and a dark secret in their souls.