The Taxidermist

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Brown is a taxidermist, and is in love with his stuffed creations and wifey. Mrs. Brown receives a letter telling her that an old school friend is visiting her, and will be with them for supper. Brown has a successful day stuffing magpies and pussy cats, and decides to take a few specimens home to show wifey. He puts them in his bag and catches a car. He sits next to a lady who has a bag similar to his own, and upon leaving the car, he hastily grabs the wrong bag. The lady (yes, it is the old school friend, Mary), rides a block too far, but with the aid of a friendly copper, she is turned into the right path. Brown arrives home and is surprised that the friend has not shown up. He goes off to wash up and tells Mrs. Brown to open the bag and that she will find a surprise. She does; it is in the form of ladies' garments, and Mrs. Brown forms hasty conclusions and loses her dignity. Brown runs on and is flabbergasted, and tries to reason with wifey. A diversion occurs with the arrival of Mary. Brown bundles the offending garments into the bag as Mrs. Brown composes herself, and goes to greet Mary. They go to the bedroom, and Mary is shocked to hear such a perfectly dreadful account of dear Martha's husband. Dear Martha leaves her and tells her to hurry, as dinner is ready, and she can see a monster in human form sitting at the head of the table. Mary hurries and opens the bag. She takes out a furry animal and has hysterics. The hysterical echoes interrupt an interesting family quarrel, and the Browns run to Mary's assistance. Brown, in his excitement, dashes water on the two ladies, and is listening to a discordant duet, fortissimo, when he sees the bag and his precious stuffed animals. Explanations follow, and Mrs. Brown ruins Brown's shirt front with a damp and ardent embrace.