The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-18
4 PRACTICAL JOKE.

host of fellows. His penchant, how
eyer. for practical joking, though it
never sayored of malice, gained as
rule more censure than apprecia-
ron. For one reason, his jokes were
not always in good taste, md the
case in point will serve as an illus
tration. 1t took the form. first of
MI of an advertisement in one of
the dailies, to wit:
. gentleman, unattached and under go, witt
rpod income would like to make the acquaint-
sr.c Of an amiallo young lady with view tC
natrimony. Address, III connuencc, Y. 1Ou,
c,ice Of this paper
He smiled grimly as he read it
over in print, wondering, with curl
GUS interest, what sort Of replies he
would get and how he should treat
;!.,n. Although, literally speaking,
H.. was mattached--that is to say,
/ although there was no spoken en-
4 sagement between him and his old
j playmate and friend, Nellie Marsh
4 he felt that he was sufficiently
4 idolized by that lady and sufficient
4 ~ under tho spell of her charms to
q defy the possible influence of any of
q the applicants, however fascinating.
N Moreover as his income was at pres
A ent TOO modest to permit of his
a marrying anybody, he went into the
s jcst with 4 double sense of safety.
q The replies were several, and, on
4 the whole, not interesting. Most of
q them we're from matrimonial agents,
q who promised, for reasonable fees,
q to procure him the necessary intro
y duction, while guaranteeing their
II clients alniai;lity and every other
q virtue. The rest, with one exoep-
& tion, were palpably bogus. The
terseness of this one, apart from its
4 neat and ladylike handwriting, gave
q ita genuine ring. 1t read as fol-
IN lows:
81 II the advertiser is willing to send by post
~ further particulars about himself and exchange
photos with tho writer, the confidence will be
Sd respected. Addyess Miss Townshend, 12 Hill!
~ s!!,et, Kings oval
81 decidedly the lady means busi-
saness, " thought Tom, and the thought
: led to others, which convinced him
THAT in following up the joke he
j would run a risk of making an ass
Of himself, Or worse. After all it
x WAS clear there was lot much fun
"a to be got out of the affair, and he
twas about to put this reply, with
3the rest, i'll the fire when suddenly
s3a new idea struck him.
5 Whllo rummaging among his col
lectlon of photos day or two pre-
slous he had come across one of
club acquaintance, Mi. Pelling-
lam which had reached him on
Some forgotten occasion, probably
- e through a third party. AS this
Photo happened to be on his table
n the moment, he placed it in an
Envelope Hethen looked up the ad-
s'alress of the original. whom he knew
% be single man like himself, and
so oddly indited the following letter:
MAPLE TERRACE. REoENT's PARK.
a5s3 DtAR MISS TowNsHEND-In acknowledgment
1s your letter inclose my photo and beg to
S S{Ae mat an junior partner in the firm Of
ssen se q Pcllingham, railwaE contractors
;=si., s. aD'ect In advertising snail hope to ex-
~. with further particulars, at an early in
view. l leave the appointment in your
's8 -1us and sign myself yours faithfully.
7i7 ALyiED PELLIH0HAM.
Ihls letter he inclosed with the
2aoto and posted off to the address
M hlng's oval, chuckling at the
ae Pellingham might have to tell
l some future occasion.
"a MS business or social capacity
fllfed Pellingham was not easily
{aa!iounded, yet a certain latter
falcn arrived one evening at his
l'sate residence marked an excep-
kS}on. 1t ran thus:
D,.,, IL Hill STREET. KINGS OVAL
.n .,.n. mn. PELLlNGHAM-I inclose my photo
nv. suAnge for your own ard shall be pleased
e,.sa az. you near tho bool1stall of the Great
s,n;na ih terminus at 8 o'clock tomorrow
Youwill have no difficulty in recop-
mo, as shall dress in pale green and
E,e958s - nat trimmed with red poppies. Believe
'0urs In confidence.
,. ALICE TowNsHENp.
= would be impossible to describe
wonderment of Mr.. Pellingham
M receipt of this> amazing commu-
s'ion. The photo was certainly
ss h. ol a pretty; girl. "Who is.
Townshendf And what on
'n can che want. with. meG' were
questions he kept asking. him
after putting every possible
impossible construction on the
a s. In the end curiosity de-
\, ~ that he must at least keep the
pantment if he ever hoped to
'e the problem.
y u Soidingly, at the time and place
to, he found himself anx-
) awaiting. the appearance of.
J d MYSTERIOUS stranger, who was
sslng all the moro mysterious in
3 fSS uslne present. Five, ten. fifteen
, s sates passed. md vet nOl,nlly.ar.