Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-11

and smiling one of the smiles peculiar
to his face Wien he felt that he had
played a capital joke on somebody.
Il am well. And how are YOU,
Mr.. Top?" asked the doctor.
First-rate," replied lie. with ire
pressible glee. You wasn't sharp
enough last April, Doctor
"What do you mean - asked the
doctor.
You didn't succeed in getting me
to the city ON fools errand."
Il don't understand you, Mr.. Top"
said the doctor. gravely.
Nv. Il HIS. Wall street-some-
thing to my advantage
The doctor looked puzzled.
You needn't look SO innocent, doe
tor; sent you to New York i'll April,
eighteen months ago, and it is but
natural that you should wish to pay
me in my own coin. But | was too
wide awake for you to catch me-"
. You are cetainly TOO wide awake
for me now. VIII you please explain
yourSelf?' said Dr.. ScrogginS.
April before last you received a
letter to the effect that if you would
call in Wall street you would hear
something to your advantage"
E" ! did, replied the doctor.
"Well?"
q called accordingly and did hear
something TO my advantage. -
What?" Top looked very much
surprised and disappointed at the
same time. "And you aid not write
me similar one last April?"
81 am above such cold-hearted
cruelty, SIR said the doctor, in tone
that marked his real feelings. 1.-The
person who could do such a thing must
have something bad about his charac-
ter, and want to have nothing to do
with him.
Good morning, DOCTOR" said Mr..
Top.
The two gentlemen bowed stlrllv and
parted, Top felt very uncomfortable.
He finally decided to call at the place
referred to in his letter. Thinking it
might still be an April-fool trick, he
made few purchases for his store and
gave his name.
" Benjamin Top" said the person
with whom he was dealing. "Do you
reside in the city,"
Top told him the name of the village
in which he lived.
Did you ever receive a letter from
this house?'
81 did; but as it was dated the first
day of April, | thought it was IN
April-fool trick, and never replied to
it.
Far from it," answered the man.
IAN old gentleman from Ohio came
here about that time. and said he had
brother living in this State, and he
was in search of him or his children.
We heard that a gentleman by the
name of Benjamin Top lived in your
village, and dropped him line; but as
no answer came, we thought the infOr-
nation must be incorrect"
Where is he noWy' asked Mr.. Top.
Dead. Your sister, Mrs. Jessup,
who resides near this city, answered
the letter we wrote her in person. She
took him home with her, and short
time after arriving there he died, leav-
ing her the whole of his property,
amounting to fifteen thousand dol
lars
He was my uncle" said Top.
"Then, 10y not attending to our let
ter you are the loser of at least one-half
of this property"
Top went home sadder man than
he was when he left it. He knew that
| 1t would be in vain to appeal to his
sisters generosity, for she was a
widow, and when poor, with five
| children depending upon her, he had
treated her with unkindness and neg
lect, and there was little likelihood of
her sharing her good fortune with
him.
Top was, after all, the April fool ;
and 50 great was his disappointment
and chagrln that never afterward was
he known to send an April-fool letter,
or to play trick on one of his friends.
Practical Farmer.