The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-01-31
AN ITINERANT JOKE.
Ehsre IL Confusion After All as to
Who L. Really the VIC
tim of It.

tim of 1t.
This is true story Of a transferred
joke that involved several people in
all sorts OF farce comedy complica-
tions, says the Kansas City Journal.
1t revolves around the home products
show that was given in Convention
hall by the Manufacturers associa-
ton. When the committee of the
show decided to issue q souvenir pro-
gramme the proceeds were donated to
the woman's auxiliary, which is cor
relative organization. The women
were to solicit advertisements, and
this they did. One of the features of
the programme were the pictures of
the officers of the Manufacturers' as
sociation, for which fee was charged.
The officers themselves cared little
about having their pictures in the
programme, but they nearly all con-
scented in order to help the women
out.
One officer of the association was
out of the city at the time and some
of his associates conceived the idea of
inserting in the programme picture
of the manufacturer that had been
taken a quarter Of a century ago,
when ne was young chap, and the
clothes in which he had sat for the
| picture were the ones in which he
had been married only few days be-
fore. This picture was very old-fash-
toned and represented the subject as
not quite up to date as regards the
fashion even at that time. IT was, in
fact, the sort of picture that staid
old couples generally relegate to an
obscure part of the family album and
classify as an uncle who went to sea
and was never heard of again.
The picture was sent around to the
Office of the women's auxiliary by the
jokers, with instructions to run in the
programme. This was done.
Here is the sequel: A week ago the
manufacturer returned to town, and
on his desk was bill for the insertion
of the picture in the programme. lie
looked up the book, and, sure enough
there was his picture, but, oh, how
changed! Suspecting some joke, the
| NGolC q iSttth w Ni'N
women's auxiliary in which he said
, such an insult had never been perpe-
trated on him before. He said that
the picture in the, book was that OF
his wife's first husband, and that to ask
him to pay for 1t was filling his cup Of
humiliation. He added: my wife al
ways did love her first husband more
: than she does me, and now to thinl
S that you want me, to pay for that pic
ture is too much"
! Having written the letter, he hunted
, up a friend whom he could trust anc
instructed this friend to spread the re
e mort that a horrible mistake had beer
: made by the jokers. When the WON
: ans auxiliary got the letter the Jok
was charged to them. They were horn
fed that so grave a mistake should hav
been made as to publish mans wife
first husbands picture instead OF IN
i living one, and then to have sent In
q bill to the living one--it was too much
: also The women decided to sift tn
5 matter to the bottom, and they hunte
}. up the Letter instructing them to IN
/ sert the picture, and learned that tn
{ picture had been sent by the Manntae
:. turers' association by way OF m1ser
), able laundering joke.
!. Upon the receipt Of the letter and tn
d bill the friends began to doubt, ant
: after a consultation it was decided ina
the wife of one of them should call uE
= on the wife of the manufacturer an'
q ascertain to certainty if the pictur
y y really was that of her first husband.
i. Now the manufacturer who had bee
h chuckling in his sleeve all this tint
70 had posted his wife on the complaca
r. ton. SO that when the blushing bette
Ie half OF one of the laundering friend
!. called upon her TO automatically IN
y auire about the picture Mrs. Manutat
- turer. with tears in her eyes, admitte
N that it was that of her first HUSBAND
r. and added that she wouldn't have care
of only she Loved him SO much better tina
n any of her other husbands. That Sc
u. tied it. When the friends learned
ie this they stood aghast at what the
AZ had done. The joke was on them.
a After the most earnest considerable
d. the friends came to the conclusion tba
)" they could do nothing now to help ma
N tiers save pay the bill and try to hus
is things up. This the manufacture
Ia heard with exceeding glee. But hoi
IN rible thought crept into his min'
What if his friends really did pay tn
az az bill and hush things up, then then
he always would be the impression in II
e. public mind that he was his wife's SCI
IS ond husband, and then, too, he ha
nd openly confessed in a letter that h
of wife had loved her first husband be-
tn ter, and this had been substantiated b
re the wife, herself in an interview wit
=; the friends wife. What could he do
b ie dissipate such thought? Nothin
M save to tell the truth. This he decide
III. to do, and the next mail brought to Il
ty women's auxiliary an explanatory lie
he ter from the manufacturer--and
ed check for the cost of the picture.
ais dozen people now breathe easier, b'
the question of whom the joke is {
". is now being discussed.
800
Economy in Profanity.
am The English law of libel max