Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-08-31
A COUPLE OF PRACTICAL JoKERs.
And How They Put Up job on One OF
Their Friends with a Short Memory.

And How They Put Up job on One of
Their Friends with IA short Memory.
s'Hello, old man. by George. I'm
glad to see you, Harold! Where have
you been all these years.
The speaker was we'll dressed young
fellow with the air of man about
town, the other had Il far away look in
his eyes and seemed to be IL dreamer.
Both were in evening dress, coming
out of Broadway theater between
the acts
''WeIl really, sir, answered gentle
man No. 2 with dignity you have the
better of me; seem to remember your
face, but somehow cannot place you.
What, you don't remember me five
years ago when we both belonged to
the Scribblers club? You don't reneIn-
Der those games Of pool when you al
ways got stuck Z"
81 certainly did belong to the Serb
blers club and used to get stuck there
at pool-do yet for that matter-but
don't remember you.
Gentleman No. laughed, but pro-
vokingly and persistently refused to
disclose his identity.
No. l kept up a rafting fire of relnin-
iscence, telling his friend SO much about
his (No. 2's) past life, mentioning names
and places in profusion, and giving
such a mass of detail that the other
could no longer doubt that they had
been acquainted somewhere in the past
where he could not say.
70
say Notifying, and yet in vain did
No. 2 rack his brain for some clew as
to the personality of his tormentor. He
began to wonder if he had not struck
a confidence man, who would presently
breach matters financial and proceed
to negotiate a loan.
do you remember your trip to Paris
in the summer of 1SS7?' finally asked
No. l.
Eyes. Did meet you there?"
''Well, I should say SO. Don't you
remember taking the Misses W to
the opera? I joined you in the box
that evening. Don't you remember
the rackets we had with George and
Billy, and all that. Oh, come now,
you must remember that"
No. 2 shook his head mournfully.
II remember all about George and
Billy and the Misses W, and all the
rest of it, but l can't remember you.
beg your pardon, but l can't"
''Well don't you remember our meet
ing at Saratoga in 1882 You were
there with your cousin, and she and /
had a desperate Irritation. See, I've
got her picture here in this locket.
Now then, Harold, old boy. you must
know me-"
Harold stared at the locket, speech
less. There, sure enough, were the fa-
miliar features of his Cousin Nellie, one
of the bellies of New York, hanging on
the watchchain of this fellow. whom
he did not know from Adam.
''Where did you get that pictureY
From Miss Nellie herself, of course /;
see, here is the inscription she had put
there, Nellie to George, 1889. '"
Gentleman No was thunderstruck.
This was really too much, not to re-
member the fiance of his own cousin.
He was overcome with confusion, and
there is no telling how much further
things might have gone had not two
other young fellows approached at that
moment holding their sides with laugh
ter. They were the identical George
and Billy referred to.
Harold, old man." said George,
when he had recovered his gravity,
''Iet me introduce our excellent friend,
Mr.. Henry -, who never was in
Paris in his life, and who never be-
longed to the Scribblers' club, and who
detests pool, and who very improperly
borrowed this locket from Inc to put up
a job on you. Seer" New York Her
aid