Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-09-18
a LITTLE JOKE.
Two Merry Children's sad Experience
with a Spool of Thread.

Two Merry Chldren's Sad Experience
with Spool of Thread.
1t was very pleasant evening party;
at least the children all thought So
With music, games and refresh
ments, what could have been want
ing? They had gathered into cir
Gle for the last play of the evening, for
it was ten o'clock; and they had prom
ised not to remain late. Matte Vernon
was standing beside Charlie Benson,
and the two were very warm friends.
She saw a bit of thread on his shoulder,
but, instead of brushing it off, she
said:
Charlie, there's travelling on your
sleeve"
He looked at it down his cheeks and
demurely said:
''Pick it off, Matte
She caught the end of the thread and
pulled. To her intense amazement she
drew out about ten yards of the thread,
and it still kept coming. 1t seemed as
if Charlie was unraveling.
Matte, he said, with a grin, "if
you insist on having that thread, why,
l might as well give you the whole
spool"
AS he spoke, he reached into side
( pocket of his coat, and handed her the
spool All the childred laughed up
roariously, while Matte grew very red
in the face, and an angry sparkle came
into her eyes.
Charlie had poled the end of the
thread through the seam in his sleeve,
with the spool hidden away in his
pocket lie had arranged it to trick
some one; Matte was the first to no.
tice the raveling, but, as they were
such famous friends, she thought he
might have spared her. She hated to
be laughed at, and was vexed enough
to cry about it. She lost her temper,
and angrily said
Charlie Benson, you're too mean for
any thingl"
Don't mind it Matte. Charlie pleas
antly said ut was only little joke"
''But not joke to my liking" she
sharply said, "And I'll never speak to
you again. -
Charlie colored, but made no reply,
for he knew it would aggravate her all
the more. 1t was an unpleasant cpl
sode, and threw a damper upon the
group. Charlie had brought Matte to
the party, but when he offered to walk
home with her. she turned from him in
disdain.
He tried to make peace, the next time
they met, but she would not listen to
him.
81 told you never to speak to me-" she
said.
mo, Matte, you didn't" he gently
replied. you said you would never
speak to me. After all, it was a very
harmless joke and caused good deal
of fun
Eyes, at my expense" snapped Mat
tie. ut was mean in you to set it up
on me-"
81 didn't, Matte" declared Charlie.
"You happened to be the first to notice
it. l hadn't the least idea that you
would get angry, or l would have given
you warning. l really had meant that
stupid Joe Barber should fall into the
trap
Il don't want to hear any more about
it." Matte resolutely said. I'VE can
never be friends again
Matte, please don't say that"
pleaded Charlie. 1T makes me feel
miserable You play jokes yourself,
and / #thought you would enjoy one
put UPON you. Didn't you hand me
a bouquet with pepper on it at the
picnic? Didn't I sit down on the
floor, at Nellie's birthday party, be-
cause didn't know that you had re-
moved the chair from behind me? Every
! body laughed, but didn't get angry.
1 laughed too"
Eyes, that's true" assented Matte, in
a modified tone.
what did you think, Matte, when
the thread began to play out?' Charlie
roguishly asked.
II was almost dazed," Matte said.
SAT first l couldn't understand it I
was afraid you were coming all apart
Then I saw into the trick"
And got mad, INTERCEPTED Charlie.
81 felt hurt, Matte said.
''The look on your face was absolutely
comica1 to see, Charlie remarked. 1T
was a cute little joke and they ali
thought it very funny"
He began to laugh, because he
couldn't help it, and his laugh was 50