The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-06-16
Murder, Temporary Alteration,
or a Joke?
Il was the first of April.

She knocked as most of them do
and by this token; the editor knew ii
was a woman. Before he said ''come
in." he succeeded in swallowing a
huge groan by means of an immense
yawn, for he had just dismissed his
tenth caller for that morning.
She had vague little air of business
about her that was unusual enough to
discomfort him somewhat for they
generally look daggers at his shirt
sleeves, and reproachful at not being
Altered rocking chair and fan.
lis this the editor of the funny
column" she asked, with an isn't
that cute onep" smile. But he pre-
tended to be deeply absorbed examin-
ing some cuts just sent up and answer
ed. absently: ''Well, l sometimes
scissor out a PICKERING or two between
the writing of obituary poems. F"
But she was not to be thus DETECTED
from her steadfast purpose. 'Oh"
she said. in matter-of-fact voice,
that's easy. l have written loads of
obituaries; I once wrote half column
of the loveliest poetry you ever saw on
the death of my sister-in-law's great
aunt and every one said it was phe-
nomenal with what touch l worked in
the genealogy SO POLITICALLY. I felt so
fiattered when some one said it made
him think of Mark Twain's poem, The
Story of a Gallant Deed But I've
taken new departure lately; I've
written some jokes. real cute ones,
too, and-did you speak?" she broke
off abruptly. her attention arrested
from fumbling in her hand bag by an
odd sort of smothered sound that
seemed to proceed from the editor s
direction.
NO." he gasped feebly, casting a
hunted and desperate look out of his
fifth story window, and calculating the
chances of being safely caught by the
nest of telegraph wires. if he should
jump.
Having emptied everything from the
inside of her bag into her lap. she sud-
denly remembered that her jokes were
in the outside pocket, and swept the
heterogeneous mass back with a light
ming change gesture.
As she handed her MSS. to the
editor. he saw that they not rolled but
folded, and his nervous system receiv-
ed another terrible shock.
Here are six, and / would like to
send you twelve week." she said in a
brisk, determined tone.
The editor took them with patheti-
caIly resigned air. and glanced them
over. Five he laid aside with an Il
thought so" expression, but at the
sixth, he started, shivered, turned pale.
rubbed his forehead. glared wildly at
his prosecutor, read it again, and then
with one fierce whoop rushed past her
and threw himself down the elevator
shaft
When they picked him up, he could
just articnlate. with futtering breath,
1T was really an original joke, you
know, aud By a womanr' Then he ex-
pired, and the expression of grieyed
amazement still fingered on his
lineaments when his stricken relatives
took their last farewell look.
She wastried for willful and pre-
meditated murder. But the Judge said
the extenuating circumstance in the
case was the day on which the act was
committed, and no jury could be got
to grasp the delicately complicated ma
ture of the evidence for the prosecu-
ton.
They disagreed, and she has been
sent for permanent detention to pri-
vate asylum fer the treatment of those
afflicted with Aprilalysis. Detroit
Free Press.