Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-28
"Great joke I'm your man," he ejacu

lated.
"Don't give my wife time to undo the
bundles - said the joker warningly,
"Tell her you're in a great hurry. Get
your money and make off with it as fast
as you can. Come to my office at 7.30
and I'll make it right
"I'll see to that"
"All right you'll do"
sThe citizen returned to his office to
to laugh away the afternoon while
the bogus agent bore the kettles
in the direction of his residence.
The Joker tried to work but the idea of
the surprise and Indignation his wife
would feel when she undid those kettles
rendered work impossible. How She would
tare around! Whoop! but wouldn't
there be war in Rome!
The joker was unable to stand it any
longer He must go home and see how
things worked. A few minutes later he
nearly exploded as he gazed upon the
flushed and excited face of his wife.
"How came you home so early?" she
demanded suspiciously.
ooh, 1 had little errand up this way
and thought I'd drop in minute" he
answered carelessly.
afternoon.
"Did he? Well, how do they work.
"Work just you come out here and
look at them," and the excited lady lead
the way to the kitchen and pointed
dramatically at the two products of the
junk shop.
"Look at them," she shrieked
"Great Scott are those what that fel-
low brought"
eyes they are. the smirking rascal
Wouldn't / like to get my hands on him
though"
And you paid him for them"
"Of course l did"
"And didn't even ask to look at them?'
"Why should I. He seemed to be very
much rushed, and l supposed of course
they We're all right.
The Joker sank into chair with well
feigned disgust.
'I'm glad there are no cows in this
neighborhood, he calculated.
"Why not?"
you're so green they'd be dead sure
to cat YOU
"Seems to me you weren't oyer bright to
deal with such a scoundrel," snapped his
better half
"Well, well, - said the joker soothingly,
it won't pay to get mad about it, OF
course you've been imposed upon by a
swindler who took advantage of my alb
sence and your simplicity to play his little
game 1t can't be helped. We must
polish those kettles up and make the
most of them. Perhaps you won't be so
confiding in the future"
Supper was eaten in gloomy silence, the
offended lady not being in a talkative
mood. At its close the joker fastened to
his office to enjoy cigar and hearty
laugh and also to await the settlement
with his bogus agent; 7.30 O'Clock came,
however, without that individual putting
| in an appearance. Nine, ten, eleven,
| twelve, and still no sign of him. The
smile had faded from the joker's face.
His horrible suspicious We're realized.
He had been duped at his own game,
swindled, played for a sucker SO to speak.
"Great Scott what lunk head, he
moaned as this fact dawned slowly upon
his astounded mind. 81 deserve to be
kicked to death by grasshoppers. She
green! BY Heavens she's genuine
Solomon side of me-.
| 1t was about one O'Clock when the joker
lay down to rest by the side of his appar-
entity slumbering spouse. He was just
| sinking into troubled dreams when a
| feminine voice said quietly, "The man
with the real kettles came just after you
left
Eyes"
"He had been delayed in deliver
| ing. The other man was an imposter"
"Of course
~ paid the second man out of the
money you left for the milkman, and say
-
"WeN.''
Hadn't you better carry those old
kettles to junk shop in the morning."
But her only answer was a simulated
Snore