The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-31

"And l feel sure that / will, said An
ME; "but we will try"
BY the time evening came Tom and
Annie had each a blank book in readi-
ness. Miss Clara helped to make them,
and they were very pretty. The
were Of stiff, cream colored paper. On
Toms was painteda boys head, crowned
by a carrot of brilliant range, while
around the edge ran a fantastic border
Of peoples, torches, lamingoes. comets
and other objects Of sa%nguinary hue.
On the cover of Armies book was a
swordfsh, and the border was made up
of elephants trunks, cranes bills, heads
of Mr.. Punch and other suggestive OBJ
jects.
Tom and Annie were in the highest
spirits as they sat side by side, writing
and numbering the remarks and jokes
missiles" as they agreed to call them.
Armies shyness was quite forgotten. her
black eyes shone, and she WA full of ami
nation. Bedtime came before the stock
of missiles was exhausted.
The next day Mrs. Burton again sug-
gested Armies going to school, and she
made no objection. Annie was very much
liked by teachers and pupils, and she was
much less shy than usual; for, if she did
not succeed in forgetting her unfortunate
nose, she was cheered by the thought that
any remarks made upon it would swell
the number recorded in her blank book,
and she was becoming very anxious to
excel Tom in this regard. Annie thought
that her being a stranger gave Tom an
unfair advantage; but Tom said that was
balanced by the fact that ''the fellows
knew he would thrash any one that spoke
Of his hair" Tom did not know that it
was his very rage at such illusions that
tempted the boys to make them. Before
long his old enemy, Sam Whitney, re-
turned to the charge.
"Hello, Woodpecker," he called out
to Tom. 81 wish you'd get your hair
cut. If you don't I'll have to get a pair
of green goggles to wear if you are go
ing to sit in front of me-"
sect them, then" said Tom, saying to
himself, with a feeling of satisfaction,
'.That makes 1917 Sam was surprised
at Toms GOODNESS, and kept on with
speeches intended to be provoking,
which Tom quietly recorded in his book,
bringing his number up to liz. Tom
and Annie had agreed that a joke re-
peated should count the same as a new
one, Annie sagely remarking that old
jokes were the most provoking of all.
After a time, SO many such questions
arose that at Wills suggestion they drew
up a set of rules, and formed themselves
into a secret society of two members,
each wearing a badge, on which was in
scribed the mystic letters P. R. A. J. S.,
signifying Personal Remarks and Jokes
Society" They each carried a little note
book, in which they made notes in a kind
of short hand of their own invention, to
be afterward copied into the larger book.
OF course, these badges and note books
excited the curiosity of the other pupils;
but Tom and Annie could not be per-
suaded to divulge their meaning till, one
day, Annie said:
Tom, 1 feel very sorry for Cornie
Scott. She is a dear girl, but she is
rather stout, and some of the girls make
fun of her. Cornie never gets angry, but
I found herr crying today, because Ida
Loring called her a porpoise. Suppose
we invite her to join u society"
agreed" said Tom, "if you will let
me invite Ned Warren. He's a good fell
low, but some of the boys laugh at him,
because he's cross eyed"
The society, thus enlarged to include
four members, began to hold regular
meetings, at which each member was
addressed by q name that had been origi.
nally bestowed in derision. Annie was
Swordfsh; Tom, Woodpecker, Ned
was known as Bat, while Cornie cheer
fully responded to the title of Por-
poise. Each had a book, modelled after
those originally made by Tom and
Annie, and diligently collected ''mis-
siles," though it was soon evident Cor
MES would exceed all the others, her list
growing at a wonderful rate. The So
ciety grew more and more to be o social
club, and was soon joined by Charley
Gibson, a freckled boy, enrolled as
Leopard, and Emma Davis, a tall, thin
miss, who meekly bore the title Of
Giraffe.
The P. R. A. j. society was kept uE
during the whole of Armies stay, and il
proved more useful thar many societies
more pretentious.
When it came time for Annie to re-
turn home there was general regret al
her departure.
"We shall miss you very much, my
DEAR" said Mrs. Burton. you have
been like a little sunbeam in the house,
l hardly thought that would be so when
you first came to us a little maiden all
forlorn."
"We had only to wait till the ice was
broken" said Miss Clara.
"And | think" said Annie, laughing,
sit was my big nose that broke the ice"
"Or my red hair" said Tom.
"Your hair may have melted it," said
Will.
And Tom never WINGED, but only
thought; "a Another joke! That makes
Daff ElActric Ii0ht CO