The Worthington advance., 1900-07-13

tally sure that they have natural tai
ent for some calling Of which they
know absolutely nothing.
Mr.. Limkins welcomed this oppor-
tunity as something he had always
longed for3 but he wanted Mrs. Linn
kins to think he was doing it under
protest.
As Mr.. Limkins strode along in the
moonlight, he felt particularly satis-
fed with himself and he made up his
mind that his speech should be mas
terpiece. He would make Stubbins
and Perkins turn green with envy. With
that speech he would make a lasting
reputation. Mrs. Limkins should know
nothing about it in advance; he would
make it complete surprise to her.
And then how proud she would be of
him; and how much it would add to his
advantage with her.
He decided to tell Mrs. Limkins in
the morning that he would make q
speech just to please her, and -
though it were matter of no conse-
quence to him. He would then spend
the rest of his time before the banquet
in arranging that speech, and fire it off
~ an entirely "extemporaneous" af-
fair. The very thought of the glory
awaiting him as the result had an ex-
hilarating effect, and Mr.. Limkins
raised his chin in the air, clenched his
fingers, and pranced along like q
"three-year-old."
The next morning as Mr.. Limlins
was leaving the house for his Office, he
said to his wife as he patted her on the
head in fatherly way: "Now, little
woman, if it will please you will make
few remarks at your banquet"
"That's dear, good boy" said Mrs.
Limkins, land you will let me write
out something for you, won't you?"
"No, little woman" he replied, II
can't come down to that, you know;
but you shall not be ashamed of me"
And Mr.. Limkins went off, leaving Mrs.
Limkins with some misgivings as to the
final outcome of her plans. For when
q woman has been the constant COM
panion of man for II years, she is
very apt to have fair idea fhis men
tai capacity.
During the next few days Mr.. Lin
kins devoted the greater part of his
time to the preparation of his "extem-
poraneous" speech. It was matter of
so much Importance to him that he
even neglected his business to con-
siderable extent; and when the morn
0f tho 1oxr ~ ho hor
Mr.. Limkins had written out and COM
mitted to memory a speech that he
considered very high-class. However,
he felt that he needed a little practice
in delivery and determined to let his
clerks go home early in the afternoon,
in order to have the office all to himself
for rehearsal. By three o'clock the
last clerk had gone, and Mr.. Limkins,
after locking all the doors, began his
recitation. However, he did not find
this sort of practice at all satisfactory
at first. The dead, bare walls of his Of
flee did not give back any encourage
ment, and he tried again and again
some particular sentences, with the
same unfavorable results. He felt that
he could do better if he had some living
thing to speak to-even if only dog or
q cat. He needed living pair of eyes
that he could fix with his eyes, in order
to concentrate his attention and prop
erly reach his climax.
Now, in the shuttle of the closing out
of the worlds fair, among other odds
and ends that had been sold at auction,
Mr.. Limkins had come into possession
of small white donkey that had been
used in the Streets of Cairo. Mr.. Linn
kins made this purchase for Silas, Jr.,
and Silas, Jr., boy-like, had, for the first
few weeks of his possession, enjoyed
the donkey to the fullest extent; but
the novelty had worn off. The donkey
was now an old story, and was allowed
to fall into a state Of innocuous desue-
tude-so far as Silas, Jr., was con-
cerned.
Silas, Jr., who had tired of riding and
driving the donkey, now seldom
thought of him, and when he did think
of him it was usually during one of
those fits of ennui-which boys will
have-and on these occasions, Silas,
Jr., had for some time past been in the
habit of going into the barn, accom-
panied by long sharp pointed stick,
with which he would prod the donkey
into giving q frst-class exhibition in
high kicking. This sort of thing had
been going on long enough to give the
donkey considerable practice and he
had already attained a very high rec
ord for so small a donkey. Silas, Jr.,
had not, however, thought it neces-
sary to take anyone into his confidence
regarding his late achievements with
the donkey.
When Mr.. Limkins felt the need of
some living thing to inspire his elo-
quence, this living relic of the 'sMid-
way very naturally came into his mind,
He knew the donkey was at leisure,
in the barn at home, and he at once de-
cided the donkey should have the bene-
fit of his rehearsal. A few minutes
later Mr.. Limkins entered his barn,
closed and locked the doors behind him
and was alone with the donkey.
Mr.. Limkins .prefaced his remarks
with few kind soothing words to his
donkeyship, and taking position i'm
mediately in front of him, began his
Grafton. The donkey was standing in
the middle of the barn chewing some
scraps of straw that were scattered
about, and paid but little attention to
his visitor at first; but as Mr.. Limkins
got we'll into his subject and began
to throw in Delsarte movement here
and there, he raised his head and
seemed to take considerable interest.
He peeked his long ears forward over
his head in an: inquiring way and eyed