The Opelousas courier., 1901-05-18
THE
%STENOGRAPHERS' PRANK I,
AND
ITS ROMANTIC RESULT. ,

OLuCS DOy. Wlllldu Is uoL q uuAA wy
but he hardly weighs his words a!
carefully as he may do when he gets
older. He said:
Il bet them delegates won't tel
their wives all of the procedin's when
they get back home"
Both Miss Purdue and Miss Benedict
heard him say that. They may not
have paid any particular attention to
it. William being in the habit of say
ing precocious and absurd things. The
idea may have been suggested by the
overcoats of the delegates them.
selves, which hung in a tempting row
in the main Office. while their owners
were consulting with Mr.. Davis, the
president Of the association, in the
big committee room. The fact that
Miss Benedict reioices in a wealth Of
golden hair no doubt had something
to do with it, taken either by itself
or in conjunction with other facts
and circumstances.
Miss Purdue and Miss Benedict are
| stenographers in the employ Of the
| association. which has its Offices in
town and sends up its delegates from
the country about every three months.
In strict confidence they call them
selves "stenogs," though that Is a mat
ter Of slight Importance and signi-
fcant in only a small degree. Yet it
may be said that stenographers would
never have done such a thing. while
it was only what might have been
expected from a pair Of "stenogs."
At first Miss Benedict wished Miss
Purdue to contribute some of her
browning glory to the scheme. Miss
Purdue has brown hair. She said:
There isn't the least bit OF sense
In that. You can take any novel you
like and the brown-haired woman is
the devoted wife and mother. with all
the steady domestic virtues. I'll bet
you the candy that nine out Of 10 of
them have got brown-haired wives. A
brown hair on their coats would ex.
cite no notice whatever. It wouldn't
be seen. and If it was seer 1t would
look all right. No. my dear. If you
want to make trouble take your own
hair. It's the kind that naturally be-
longs to sirens"
"Tm sure I'm very much obliged to
you" said Miss Benedict.
Nevertheless she submitted to the
dominant will Of the other and for
the next FIVE minutes she exclaimed
"Ouch!" at intervals OF two or three
seconds.
Then the delegates began to come
in and hang up their coats. There
perhaps 80 of them. altogether.
AS soon as they were all comfortably
behind the closed door Miss Purdue
from her typewriter and beck
oned to her friend.
Miss Benedict. however. refused to
be enticed from her work. She said.
I'll keep right on so as to avert sus-
Whereupon Miss Purdue ac-
FUSED her of being a 'fraid cat" and
the little drawer of the type
stand took from it a respectable
,ank of golden hair. She then went
to where the coats were hanging
Ind proceeded to deck them with the
strands.
She did 1t artistically-not so that
he hairs would be at once perceived,
tut that from their concealment be-
the collars. behind laDels and
Inder pocket flaps they would work
ut in time to the confusion Of those
had unknowingly harbored them.
dere and there she tucked a few in
be sleeve Innings.
1t was this that betrayed them. They
hould have waited until the last day
I the session. AS IL was. the dele
ates had n more day, possibly two,
, attend. The day after the bur.
isEed threads had been placed the
Wo young women heard a sudden
urst OF laughter from the committee
pom. This was SC strange. so en-
rely without precedent. that they
'oked at each other in amazement.
VILLAIN. the Office boy. came out of
room at this time. and Miss Pur-
instantly bounced upon him,
What are they laughing at. VIII
am 2" she said
Tell us!' commanded Miss Bene-
let. (,
william indigha=s:s shook himself /
from their clutches. Jaw. say!"
, exclaimed. Then he grinned and ]
ided: "They picked a woman's hair {
Mr.. Harmer's coat. They've got 4
on him. all right. It's a cinch. none I
them others don't have to pay for {
~ drinks or seegars as longs they're +,
town an keep close to him. Oh, I
~! 1t was a peach-as long as i
,ur arm and"
Here. he stopped. his eye encounter /,
6 Miss Benedict's massy couture. .
Is grin Widened and he suddenly put ;
hand before it and doubled him :
II up in an ecstacy of mirth. Miss :
promptly cuffed him and he :
ID, pursued by the two, and took !
fuge in the telephone cabinet. Z
In about five minutes the COMMITTEES a
door opened. and the delegates G
me out. Their faces were wreathed 2
smiles. and as many as could get 9
Mr.. Harmer were shifting him P
the back and addressing to him il
ndry Dleasantries. It was not hard s
distinguish Mr.. Harmer. His 4
lille was altogether different to those \
he others. Miss Benedict did NOT p
9 I'm. for she was Gathering away r,
her typewriter at a furious rate. L
deed, her exertion was SO great as 6