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

Whooo coo.AA Aiho youA oSoE oho y
hand.
TIE PRACTICAL JOKE.
aIt will be jolly good fun, Z aaid Tom
Hurd, Laughing vociferously, "joliy
agreen fellow like that, he takes it in
SO.
Tom Hurd was the practical joker OF
the school.
Practical jokes wero 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.
"It will kill two birds with one
stone," said Tom. "Fanoy Jack and
the professor going off together in the
gig, and finding the old 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 fnnl And to see how they'll come
back after it Old Lawton furious and
little Jack full of the story-ha, ha | It
will be fun II
&c Rut r. will ooora b;,,, CO o,:J
small boy.
"You hold your tongue" said Tom.
"What's tho fun of the JOKE if it
didn't?"
And 80 Harry pocketed the telegram
and bidding goodbye to his friends,
departed.
1t was noon, next day. The boys
we're 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.
"and then / shall have six more with
mamma. 1shall go out with her to see
things, and in the evening she will take
me in her lap as if I were baby. ]
love to be mammals baby still. It is
nlce-nothing is so nice as that. though
the boys laugh at me for it. Well,
what can that be driving 80 fast? If il
should be mamma come to see mel"
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.
Now for fun"
Professor Lawton took the message
with countenance full of trouble. He
walked into his study, and in minute
more Mrs. Lawton came out into the
garden, and approaching little jack
took him by the hand and led him into
the house.
sWell see the gig brought out soon.' y
said Tom. "It's working finely"
The jokers grouped about the porch.
One or two looked very much scared. .
hut Tom was in high feather. They
listened. but heard no sound for LONG
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 q moment more the study door
burst open and Mrs. Lawton appeared.
"One Of You boys-Tom Hurd, you, y
she cried, "you are 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.
cried Mrs. Lawton.
And Tom, without his hat, started
OIL. 1t was a long run to the doctors.
ana ne was breathless when he reached
the door, He could not talk to the
doctor as he drove back in his gig; he
could only say something dreadful mnst
have happened. And when the dootn, r
hurried into the professor's stndv e be
waited outside, trembling and irving in in
vain to hear what was going on. As :"
Mr.. Barker, the assistant. cone
around the house after awhile, and sa;d
there would be no school that after @
noon, and that the boys must make nc
noise whatever.
The practical jokers had no wish tc
do so. They sat silently on the porch
until ut last the study door reopenei