Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-03-14
CHAUNCET DEPEW.
Il Hcstere Gtr1's Fanny Experience ccith
the Great Dinner Talker.

Il Hcstesn Gtr1's Fanny Experience with
the Great Dinner Talker.
Chancey Depew tells so many good
stories on other people that there is
general rejoicing when some one man
ages to have the laugh on him, and she
clubmen are telling each other with
much JUNCTION the following little tale:
1t is not perhaps a secret that our
Chauncey is, like Mrs. Gilpin, of a
frugal mind, and is thrifty with his
stories and jokes. After the press has
once got hold of his good things he
neve uses them again, at least in that
particular community; but no man can
have a whole set of brand-new brilliants
every day of his life, and a little discre-
ton and a good memory will make
ones store go a long wey without being
guilty of repetitions to the
same audience. But the dis
erection Of even Chauncey is at fault at
times, and the other night he suffered
because of it. The daughter of a GER
tain famous American who has hitherto
made his home in the West has been
visiting in New York, and was one of
the guests at q dinner of very distin-
guished men and women last week.
She is a woman accustomed to the in
tellectual best of the men who go into
dinner with her, and on this occasion
she regarded with some surprise the
efforts of the man who had taken
her in to dinner to amuse her.
He looked like a person of
ability, and she gradually gained
the impression that he was laboring I'M
der the delusion she was a wild West
erner who was many years behind the
times, and had not heard any modern
jests. When this idea became firmly
rooted in her mind she was at no fur
ther pains to conceal her Indifference to
his efforts, and at last in despair her
dinner companion remarked: Miss
-, we don't seem to get on. What
is the matter? I wish you would tell
me frankly" Il WILL" she said, laugh
ing a little. Il am cross because you
have been telling me Chauncey Depew's
old stories all the evening. I don't
know him myself, but I've heard all
his stories over and over again, and I
don't think 1 can stand any more of
them again" Her companion paused a
moment, then shook all over with
amusement aud delight, and said:
Miss -, your frankness is simply
enchanting, and I'll confess in my turn
L thought that you were a very young
girl, and from so far away in the West
that you were not likely to have heard
these stories, so I was using old stock
on you, but I see my error. and now 1
will tell you some stories of Chauncey
Depew's that I'm sure you've not
heard" From that moment the West
ern girl declares that such a stream of
brilliant talk, anecdote, and wittic;sm
poured forth that she never noticed
what she was eating and was desper-
ately grieved When the hostess gave the
signal to rise and she was separated
from her clever companion. Going
home in a cab she said to her father:
DO you know the name Of the man
who took me in to dinner? I didn't
catch it, but I found him perfectly
charming" my dear girl said her
father, you don't deserve your privi-
leges. OF course you found him charm
ing. That was Chauncey Depew!'
There was a dreadful silence from the
young woman all the way home after
that, but she told the whole story next
morning at the breakfast table with
much shamefacedness aud her family
found it too good to keep.-Brook1yn
Eagle.