Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-21
The Man Who ApOlogized.

Il was at the corner of Woodward
avenue and Congress street, and the
time was ten o'clock in the forenoon.
A citizen who stands solid at 200 pounds
was walking along with bright eye and
the birds singing in his heart, when all
at once he found himself looking M at
the cloudy heavens, and q voice up the
street seemed to say:
"Did ye see the old duffer strike that
icy spot and claw for grasp"
Then another voice down the street
seemed to say:
"You bet did He's lynn there yit,
but he'd git right up if he knew how
big his feet looked
The solid citizen did get up. The
first thing he saw was the beautiful city
Of Detroit spread out before him. The
next thing was slim man with bone
colored whiskers, who was leaning
against building and laughing as if
his heart would break.
81 can knock your jaw off in three
minutes |" exclaimed the citizen, as he
fshed for the end of his broken suspen-
der.
The slim man didn't deny it. He
hadn't time. He had his hands full to
attend to his laughing. The solid man
finally found the suspender, counted
up four missing buttons and his vest
split up the back, and slowly went look.
ing back and wondering il he could be
held for damages to the sidewalk. He
had been in his office about ten min
utes, and had just finished telling his
clerk that an express team knocked him
down, when in came the slim man with
bone-colored whiskers. The solid man
recognized him and put on frown, but
the other held out his hand and said
Mister, l came to beg your pardon.
You fell on the walk and I laughed at
you, but-ha ha ha upon my soul
I couldn't help it. It was the ha ha
ha funniest sight I ever saw, and
oh no no no ha! ha II couldn't
help laughing +"
81 want none O. your penitence and
none O. your company !" sharply re-
piled the solid man, and the other went
out.
In about an hour the fallen man "
had to 60 over to the express Office. The
man with the bone.colored whiskers was
there with o package, and he reached
out his hand and began
"Sir, I ask your forgiveness. I
know what belongs to dignity and good
manners, but-but-ha! ha when I
saw your heels shoot mp and your shout
ders-ha ha ha double up had to
no no ha ha ha ah-h-h Ii I"
ell lick you if I ever get a good
chance !" remarked the citizen. but yet
the man sat down on box and laughed
till the tears came.
In the afternoon as the citizen was
about to take Car for home some one
touched him on the elbow. It was the
man with the bone-colored whiskers.
His face had very serious, earnest
look, and he began:
"Citizen, I am positively ashamed of
myself. lam going to settle in Detroit,
and shall see you often. l want to ask
your forgiveness for laughing at you
this morning"
He seemed so serious that the solid
man began to relax his stern look, and
he was about to extend his hand, when
the other continued /:
"You see, we are alba ha liable
to accident. I, myself, have often--ha
ha ha struck an icy spot and no no
no ha ha la gone down to grass
all ha no ha no ! ha !"
The solid citizen withdrew his hand,
braced his feet, drew his breath and
struck to mash the other fine. His foot
slipped, and next he knew he was plow-
ing his nose into the hard snow. When
he got up the man with the bone-colored
whiskers was hanging to hitching-
post, aud as black in the face as an old
hat. The citizen should have killed
him then and there, but he didn't. He
made for car like bear going over q
brush fence, and his efforts to look in
nocent and unconcerned after he sat
down broke his other suspender dead in
two. Such is life. No man can tell
what an icy spot will bring forth.-Ds-
tr0it Free Press.