The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-11-22

MS FOice HSS lEenclcuS. sGo gei
inc tear giisteBed in his eye. He "
an iEveteIate smoker St that tin
aad probably no ether gift ecu
% hsve been selected that would ha
r pleesed him half so well IS a fine piL
v, After holding i: in bis haad aud gs
ing for moment in speeehiess sdH
m rsti0R at its size snd beauty, be r
$ sporGed in voice husky with EN-
=, ton:
in "Boys-yOu-you have taken 7
s. entire ly by surprise. feel utterl
n incapable Of expressing my ihanI
r. for this beautiful gitt, st this momeI
u far less than / do the friendly regar
n which makes me the recipient of
N L worla like Toto be able to te
4 you ali how very deeply I apprecia:
;. this giit---but l cannot do it now
], cannot do it,
% lie sat down, b.s face flushed Wit
= pleasure, and his humorous blue eye
r fairly sparkling with delight, Will
4 The rest of the company were oppresl
\ ed with strangely embarrassing ser
: sations.
WASHING DOWN THE JOKE
= The joke had been carried entirel
g teo tar. Each. ons felt this, but sar
J. no way out OF the difficulty. Tt
= painful silence was broken by the ar
!, preach of the landlor,, in response t
: beckoning motion from Mark.
"Open a couple of bottles OF wine
Levlson Moselle, do you hear? spark
hing Moselle."
The consDirstors were getting
deeper into the mire. Sparkling No
selle was worth five dollars bottle,
and they felt an additional psng al
the thought of Mark incurring such
an expense on such an occasion. A
general protest against the wine was
entered, but Mark was infexible.
"Boys, l insist most positively up
on this as my perogative," said be,
''snd know you will not deny me
this additional pleasure. Levion, you
jast draw the corks and seisthe g!sss-
es out"
Pop! pop! went the corks, the
landlord having expediGted things
fer fear the order might be counter
manded. Further protest was use
Iess, and with troubled hearts the
Visigoths sat down and swallowed
their vino, vsiEly endeavoriDg TO
look cheerful The party soon
broke up, snd Mark went of with
his pipe, as hsppy "a . boy with
bis first top-boots.
The horrible discovery. About
three days after the presentation
Mark WIS summing himself on the
eide walk in front OF the office,
smoking bis darling pipe, and look
inc the perfect embodiment OF seIeni-
" end comfort. a friend came
alOng and entered into conversation
With him. THIS individual had been
let INTO the secret OF the pipe, and he
supposed that by this time Mark him
self knew all about it. The friend re-
marked:
"That's gay Old pipe, MARX,
isn't it ?"
"well, 1 should ssy it was" earn
estly responded Mark, as he reached
out and uuclasped the elegant satin
lined case in order that the beholder
might be dazzled by q full view OF
the goTgeously carved and silver
mounted bowl. there's one thing
I noticed though he added with
chiId-like innocence, looking anxious
ly f2r q trace Of eolcrlng at the bowl
of The pipe, aud then peering into the
soft, silky recess OF the clss-'I no
ticed that the heat seems to strike
through and scorch the case. sap
pose ought to lesve it off when Pm
smcking--doE't Jon think so p
1t was even as he said. On each
inner side Of the c'ra the original
gIassy pink of the sstin had been
schOrched to crsip, harsh hroHn--it
was utterly spoiled, in fact.
''Well, l should think you Mould
leave that elegant csse eff, and not
be spelling it with worthless old
sbsm pipe like .hat,' replied his
friend.
The peculiar look which Mark |
bsnt upon the speaker at these words
made him feel somewhat uncomforta-
BILE. The idea suddenly occurred to
him that Mark had not become aware
.. the fraud until now, snd this i'm
preston was somewhat confirmed.
"Of course, / suppose you k1OU
that this is bogus pipe p said Mark,
N very insinUsting tone
"WelI-yes-yes, suppose ] do"
replied the other, who hardly knew
what 10 make Of lis willy lDterroga-
tor.
"Tbey let sou in,O the--thc joke,
did they 20 continued Mark, with
s gastly attempt AZ q knowing smile.
mo; un;iI it was al over. Dsn
De QniIle toli r5e 81! sbous IL hex.
day"
Mark said no more. He put the
,.ipe hack ia is ease, disjOinted the
ftem snd PIT the ~hoie apparatus in
hrs cozt pocket. Then walked up
stairs and into the fepOr ers' rooms.
His co-lsborer. Dan dc QGIile, was
there alone, writing at bis desk. he
locked W, as Marx entered, and said
cordially: "Hsllo, old fellow - but
there wss no response. Twain lock-
ed the door behind him and PIT the
kew IN his pocket, drew Up chair
and sat down squareiy facing Dan,
Who ielt lissgTesabla presentment
Inst the cat was out OF The bag.
What tTanspired between these s"o
men this veraeious historian isuasble
20 affirm with Rigorous exaetieode-
But thare is tradition that Twain
declared sll friendship "Cff" from that
time forth bet @een himself and Dan
that the noblest feelings o. his nature
had been wartonly trifsd with, and
be wouId forgive 10 man w5o had
participated in the deception thai
chief aiooDg ell The offenders he held
the uphappy Dan 10 be, because they
were ohums-Sorked together, ate
together, wrote sensation items to-
cesher about the arrival Of pack trains
AID hay wagons, drark Milk Nc
Ciusky's reporter c1bbieT's Together,
and Inallg rConei together. For a
msn who wss thus ciossly wo1rd up
in his scui % become q party 10 such
a miserable joke WAS 100 much. Vow
ing yeBgeance, and refusing TO listen
to Dzn's explanation about how the
Joke csme TO be carried go far, Mark
vent right off sAd hired separate
room for himself and many months
elapsed before the painful memory OF
IS bogus pipe passed away forever.
Withis q week after the joke wss
exposed, the Visig rs bought Mark
a genuine meerschaum, which was
presented informally. No speeches
nor sparkling Moseiie.
Our esrly Presidents, il living,
would doubtless be cheered BIZ the
thougbt that the portraits II the
hands of the Gothsnites are asde
serv,cesble in furtber1g the settle