The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-25
THE PRACTICAL JOKE.

green fellow like that, he takes 1t IN
So"
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 a way few of
the great boys could understand, was
to be the victim.
Harry Pratt WIS going to New York,
where the mother lived, and Tom Hurd
had instructed him to send a telegram
to Jack, to the care of Professor Law
tor, 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. Fancy Jack and
the professor going off together in the
gig, and finding the old woman alive
and jelly Well have q half-holiday,
! too, and that's worth while, and nobody
can catch us as have managed it. It's
back after it Old Lawton furious and
little Jack full of the story-ha, ha 1t
will be fun I"
"But it will scare him so, said one
small boy.
d" You mold your tongue" said Tom.
''What's the fun of the jOke if it
didn't ?"
And so Harry pocketed the telegram
and bidding goodbye to his friends,
departed.
1t was noon, next day. The boys
were playing in the school yard. Little
| Jack sat perched upon the gate looking
out along the road. He was talking to
his chum, VIII Sparrow.
Six weeks to vacation" he said,
''and then shall have six more with
mamma. I shall go out with her to see
| things, and in the evening she will take
me IN her lap as if I were q baby. ]
! love to be mammals baby still. 1t is
! nice-nothing is 50 nice as that, though
the boys laugh at me for it. Well,
what can that be driving so fast? If it
| should be mamma come to see me I"
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
| for 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 a large yellow envelope.
cts our telegram, whispered Tom.
"Now for fun. D"
Professor Lawton took the message
with a 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.
"We1l see the gig brought out soon, 3"
said Tom. cts working finely"
The jokers grouped about the porch.
| One or two looked very much scared,
but Tom was in high feather. They
listened. but heard no sound for long
time. Then there arose q faint, long
drawn moan. A woman's scream fol-
lowed it. Then came silence. Tom
stopped laughing. One of the boys
began to cry. All felt strange terror
| come over them.
In a moment more the study door
burst open and Mrs. Lawton' appeared.
Zone of you boys-Tom Hurd, you, p"
| she cried, "yOu are the largest-run
/ for DIR. Blair. Don't let him lose a
moment. Run"
"What has happened?" asked Tom.
"Don't stop to ask questions. &c"
| cried Mrs. Lawton.
And Tom, without his hat, started
! of. 1t was a long run to the doctors,
| and he was breathless when he reached
+ the door. He could not talk to the
I hn hoo h. hn
/ could only say something dreadful must
1 hurried into the professors study he
waited outside, trembling and trying in
( vain to hear what was going on.
Mr.. Barker, the assistant, came
/ around the house after awhile, and said
/ 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 the porch,
until at last the study door reopened
End the doctor came out, with the pro-
fessor following him.
! 1T is a terrible thing" he said,
slowly "terrible. 1 have known sud
den shocks to produce death very Of
| ten, when the heart was affected. All,
| dear me !"
"Please sir" cried a dozen boys
voices at once, "won't you tell us what
/ has happened?"
That telegram WIS from poor Jack
| Redburn's home" said the professor.
" His mother is dead. He was a deli
cate boy, and the doctor says"
"Ah, yesl' said the doctor. Eyes,
yes-dropped dead at once, didn't he
poor fellow?"
dead !" cried the boys.
dead !" cried Tom Hurd. cob,
doctor doctor no, no, mol Save
him save him It's a ioke-a wicked
| joke. His mother is alive. I sent the
telegram. Tell him that; it will bring
him to. Tell him tell aim %
dead people can't be brought to, ="
cried the doctor. "Are you speaking
the truth ?"
ooh, yes" cried Tom, groveling in
the dust. "Oh, yes. Oh, God forgive
mo! VIII 1 he hung? o try to save
him, doctor -
"Thomas Hurd, " cried the professor,
"stand up; don't grovel there. Do
you mean all this? Did you really
send lying message to a widows only
son to tell him she was dead?"
eyes, sir, said Tom. sob, I am so
| sorry. wish l. was dead. Gan some
thing be done? He may not be quite
gone. Oh, pray, pray, try"
"Why did you do such thing as
this ?" asked the doctor.
"Only for fun" answered Tom.
| "Do you think it fun now ?" asked
| the doctor.
I'm a murderer !" said Tom. "Oh,
hang me hang me p
:Do you think the law would allow
us to do it, doctor?" asked the profess
sor. 81 should like very much to
risk it."
| "PIease do, said Tom, seriously.
| He dropped on the steps as he spoke,
and, lying on his face, began to moan /:
Tive killed him I've killed him
I've killed him - in a way that was
! terrible to hear.
The professor looked a5 the doctor.
He slipped back and opened the door,
and out ran little slender figure, that
knelt down by Tom, and whispered;
Don't go on so, Tom; I'm alive.
Tom lifted up his head, ana saw little
Jack Redburn, and gave a scream, and
caught him IN his arms, crying:
"Oh, he's alive he's alive he's
ol;,-o ~ orar ond over again