There is no guessing required in this puzzle. It is all a question of
elimination. If we can pair off any five of the ladies with their
respective husbands, other than husband No. 10, then the remaining lady
must be No. 10's wife.
[Illustration: PLACING HALFPENNIES.]
I will show how this may be done. No. 8 is seen carrying a lady's
parasol in the same hand with his walking-stick. But every lady is
provided with a parasol, except No. 3; therefore No. 3 may be safely
said to be the wife of No. 8. Then No. 12 is holding a bicycle, and the
dress-guard and make disclose the fact that it is a lady's bicycle. The
only lady in a cycling skirt is No. 5; therefore we conclude that No. 5
is No. 12's wife. Next, the man No. 6 has a dog, and lady No. 11 is seen
carrying a dog chain. So we may safely pair No. 6 with No. 11. Then we
see that man No. 2 is paying a newsboy for a paper. But we do not pay
for newspapers in this way before receiving them, and the gentleman has
apparently not taken one from the boy. But lady No. 9 is seen reading a
paper. The inference is obvious--that she has sent the boy to her
husband for a penny. We therefore pair No. 2 with No. 9. We have now
disposed of all the ladies except Nos. 1 and 7, and of all the men
except Nos. 4 and 10. On looking at No. 4 we find that he is carrying a
coat over his arm, and that the buttons are on the left side;--not on
the right, as a man wears them. So it is a lady's coat. But the coat
clearly does not belong to No. 1, as she is seen to be wearing a coat
already, while No. 7 lady is very lightly clad. We therefore pair No. 7
lady with man No. 4. Now the only lady left is No. 1, and we are
consequently forced to the conclusion that she is the wife of No. 10.
This is therefore the correct answer.