Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-08-10
A PRACTICAL JOKE.

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love that girl And they say all is
fair in love and war, and perhaps
that is some excuse for me.
1 had liked her a long while, and /
knew that she liked me.
Twas as big fellow as she could
see anywhere about. / had a farm
of my own, and, when / was mar
ried, father had promised to build
me first-rate house and stock the
place for me.
And when 1 went to church ON
Sunday, or to town, l had good
clothes, and was never told 1 looked
i'll in them. ga au@e r
i had settled, in the slow, quiet
sort of way in which cOuntrymen
do settle these things, that we'd
make a match of it.
The other young fellows knew it,
and if we were not fashionable we
were so far gentlemen that we had
our code of honor. None of them
ever interfered or tried to cut me
out.
But then "hep came, you sec
dapper and pretty, and dressed like
a tailOr's fashiOn-plate, and talked
of things / knew very little about,
and his hands were white, and he
had graceful, gallant ways that l
had never learned.
Mr.. Zaccheus, that was his name.
And in that summer holiday of his,
while we were working hard over
the hay, and were tanned, dirty
and worn, and so tired that sleep
was about all we wanted when work
was over, why then he, soft, sweet
and smiling, made himself agreeable
to the girls, and crept into Maggie
FTanz's heart-my Maggie.
She scarcely looked at me. She
did not care whether she met me or
not; and On Sunday, there he was
making me feel somehow so coarse,
rough and vulgar, and when /
wanted her to go with me into the
park, where we used to sit in the
great, green shadows, and listen to
the birds sing, she had some excuse
for staying at home, and when, on
the road from church, l took her
hand in mine, she snatched it away,
and said, quite Grossly:
"DOn't, Frank +; don't do such
silly, rustic things, while folks are
here. They never do it themselves,
and they laugh So"
"Mr. Zaccheus laughs, you mean,
] suppose" said L. "Thats gentle.
manly, too"
"NOu are criticising Mr.. Zaccheus'
manners, are you ?"
After that there was a GOODNESS
hunf +hnU11rh h ri
ached, | could not think that it
mattered much to her.
Istayed away from her fathers
house, and did not walk home with
her from church on Sunday; indeed,
l did not go to church at all. And j
know the young fOlks-aye, and the
old folks, tOO-were saying that we
had fallen out with each other, and
| suppose everyone guessed why ;
but j would never answer any queS-
tiOnS-nOt even when my own
mother asked me-nOt /.
So the summer came and the
autumn passed on, and the town
people stayed and stayed. l saw
that fellows silk hat and twill UNI
brella and eXquisitely fitting gar
ments wherever / went. Farther
than l could see other people, l used
to see him and her-Mr. Zaccheus
and Maggie.
They had never made Maggie
work much at home, and she had
plenty of time to enjoy herself-an
only daughter, you see, mean, and
her people were what is called fore
handed. | never intended that she
should drudge after we were mar
ried. When had hoped for that
/ did not mind work myself, but pd
never have made a slave of my
wife.
This Mr.. Zaccheus could not make
of her more precious treasure than
/ would knew that. / was think
ing this all over one evening in the
meadow, when suddenly | heard
some one say: "Ah-Mr. WOllme-
rath :"
l looked up, and there was Mr..
ZaccheuS, natter than ever, with
Il cigar in his mouth.
If he had known Just how j felt
toward him, Pm not sure that he'd
have come to find me alone in the
great meadow, aad / thought OF
that Just as ! jumped up from the
grass and looked at him. But he
was smiling as politely as possible,
and there is something in a mans
heart that makes it hard to do the
first rude thing to one who is civil.
Still was not polite to him.
"That's my name" said L to him.
"DO you want me"
81 want something of YOU" said
he. "There is n little excursion to-
night from our house. We're going
to take a lady. Have you any little
light trap, and a horse, of course,
that you could let me hire for the
evening? '
"Come along" I said "Tn show
you what Pve got"
On the farm that was mine there
was one building, a little cOw-Shed.
We put the tools in there some
times, and | had paddock for the
door the key was in my pocket.
It came into my head that | could
spoil this evening for him, and spite
Maggie, too, by locking him in the
she'd; and if he had spirit enough
to fight about it afterward, so much
the better. Vs. -
i led the way down into the
meadow where it stood, and I'M
locked the door.
"Just look in" said /, land see if
that will suit YOU" @
"Can't see anything" said he.
ats pitch dark. Wait, / have a
match"
He took one from his pocket and
stooped 10 strike it on the sole of
his beot. and then / gave him a
ms and over he went, flat on the
tioor. and l had the key in my
~You'H not make anyone hear
very soon, my lad," said l, land
von'Il not kiss Maggie Franz going
over the bridge this evening";
Then | went away and l3ld my;
self fat upon the porch in front OF
onr house, and felt happier thah L
had felt before for long time.
Revenge is sweet now ana .il tI,o
1 do not pretend to have none q inc
old Adam in me.