Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-09-24
THE PRACTICAL JOKE.

Whose breath shall sooth you lfko your dear one q
Ia hand.
THE PRACTICAL JOKE.
cit will be jolly good fun, /" said Tom
Hurd, laughing yociferously, ssjolly
good fun. It's capital to play joke ON
green fellow like that, he takes it in
80. is
Tom Hurd was the practical Joker OF
the school.
Practical jokes were his Joy, and now
he had concocted one that was to cap
the climax and make him a shining
Light among the fun-loving boys. Pale,
little jack Redburn, whose mother was
clergyman's widow, who loved her
only child with an absorbing tender
ness, which he returned in way few of
the great boys could understand, was
TO be the victim.
Harry Pratt was going to New York,
where the mother lived, and Tom Hurd
had instructed him to send telegram
to Jack, to the care of Professor Law
ton, bearing these terrible word:
Your mother is dead. Come home. ("
Yes, and Tom had given Harry the
money for this telegram and had written
it out for him.
1t will kill two birds with one
stone" said Tom. Fancy Jack and
the professor going off together in the
gig, and finding the cid woman alive
and jolly Well have half-holiday,
too, and that's worth while, and nobody
can catch us as I have managed it. It's
jolly funl. And to see how they'll come
back after it Old Lawtou furious and
little Jack full of the story-ha, ha 4 It
will be fun |"
But it will scare him So" said one
small boy.
"You hold your tongue" said Tom.
"What's the fun of the JOKE if it
And SO Harry pocketed the telegram
and bidding goodbye to his friends,
departed.
It was noon, next day. The bows
were playing in the school yard. Little
Jack sat perched upon the gate looking
out along the road. He was talking to
his chum, Will Sparrow.
Six weeks to vacation," he said,
land then shall have six moro with
mamma. I shall go out with her to see
things. and in the evening sha will take
me in her lap as if I were baby. /
love to be mammals baby still. It is
nlce--nothing is so nice rs that, though
. SAS ooJo iuutoh uU luo 1OT D.. GIL.
what can that be driving so fast? If it
should be mamma come to see me !"
He jumped down from the gate post
and ran out into the road but the
vehicle that approached held only one
young man. It was the telegraph mes
senger they all knew him. He asked
Tor Professor Lawton, and stood wait
ing for his coming with grave counte-
nance. When he came he whispered
something in his ear, before he handed
him large yellow envelope.
Its our telegram" whispered Tom.
Professor Lawton took the message
with countenance full of trouble. He
walked into his study, and in a minute
more Mrs. Lawton came out into the
garden, and approaching little Jack
took him by the hand and led him into
the house.
well see the gig brought out soon. "
said Tom. "It's working finely"
The jokers grouped about the porch.
One or two looked very much scared.
bnt Tom was in high feather. They
listened. but heard no sound for n lono
time. Then there arose faint. lone
drawn moan. A woman's scream fol,
lowed it. Then came silence. Tom
stopped laughing. One of the bows
began to cry. All felt strange terror
come over them.
In moment more the study door
burst open and Mrs. Lawton appeared.
Gone of You boys-Tom Hurd, you"
she cried, "you arc tho largest-run
for DR.. Blair. Don't let him lose q
moment. Run"
What has happened ?" asked Tom.
Don't stop to ask questions. Co."
And Tom, without his hat. started
OIL. 1t was long run to the doctors.
and he was breathless when he reached
the door. He could not talk to the
doctor as he drove back in his cig he
could only say something dreadful mnst M
have happened. And when the doctor
hurried into the professor's stndy e no
waited outside, trembling and irving in in
vain to hear what was going on. -
Mr.. Barker. the assistant. CANA
around the house after awhile. and % aa;d
there would be no school that after. @
noon, and that the boys must make no
noise whatever.
The practical jokers had no wish to
do so. They sat silently on tho porch,
until at last the study door reopened