Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-05-14
Keister'S Little Joke


house in ihe suburbs. Nicoll had just
arrived Ia town on weeks
business trip and had surprised Keis-
Ter 10y breaking into his Office unan-
nounced and shifting him vigorously
on The back TO testify to his delight
at once more meeting the friend of
his bachelor days. keisters first inn
pulse was to hurl the inkstand at his
visitor bur when he saw who it was
he contented himself with pommel-
ing him arouad the room to show his
5og Them he forced him into a chair
and beamel ON him.
married and done for, hear"
said Nicol
~Three children, to boot" said
Eeister, with conscious pride. about
abe smoothcst little bunch YOU ever
--6ut aheu YOU shall see them and
Judge for yourself. You must come
and stay with me while you are here
No; eNcnses don't 20. I'll tell you
what; IN ask Billy Stokes to dinner
and If ave don't have n coy old pow
WOW over old times tonight. Surel
Biliy's on earth. No, he isn't mar
I'ieI. but HE chances are good i'm
abouf another month. Same old Bill
~; not hairs difference. You
haven't changed q bit. either. Look
as natural as ever What do you
think of mc2 OF course we all have
our aroulIes and they don't make us
any younger but they tell me l hold
my own pretty we'll You ought to
have married, Nick; but then | guess
you're too young yet to settle down
Nothing like it, though. No, it won't
Interfere with your business at all
1T may sound as if it was far out.
but the train gets you down there in
p minutes, and you don't have to
worry about getting a seat"
well, iftI do go down with you,
-ou'll be putting up some job or an
-,sH.. on me-" said Nicoll.
seN,s N, UGH. I've quit all that and
sobered 1,w,r. I'll call Stokes up
right away. Say. but I'm sorry that
4 can't drop everything ana go OUT
with you right now, but II S..'S' nap
pens that you've caught ME when va
got my hands full Of lot Of business
that must he attended TO. See those
papers stacked up there? Wen, Wen |
make up for it tonight, anyway, |
Weld if you've got business yourself |
IL don't 80 mich matter. You can
get thorough by half-paat four, can't |
NSSa? Very wCll, then. You come /
mere OF that time and youl find Billy |
and me here waiting for you Don't |
make it any later, apd we can catch |
the 4:l5. Bring your satchel with |
Won with enough things for week.
Wei. good by,old fellow, Gor the
present IN give you a time, ALI
right"
As soon as Nicoll had gone Keister
went 10 the telephone and called mp !
Stokes Stokes had been one Of ihe
bachelor trio in the old days, and he
promptly accepted the invitation and
said he would call at the Office at a
little before four o'clock unless he
fell dead with heart disease. Then
Ileister attacked his papers and was
busy with them until lunch time. 1t
occurred to HIM then that it was his
duty to LET Mrs. Keister know some
ching about the intended dinner par
ty, and in the same instant he won
dered what kind of a Job he could
~put M" on his old friend. That was
Xeister's weakness. In the old days
he had been lannon's for his practical
Jokes and il gratified him TO think
chat Nicoll recollected It. This should
have filled him with shame, however,
for they had been very dreary prac-
tical jokes, and still were dreary.
Suddenly he began TO chuckle. An
idea had come to him, lie walked
over to the telephone and called up
his house.
"Oh. it's you, Polly" he said, when
his wife answered. "See here; I've
invited Nicol over to dinner tonight,
and hen stay with us for awhile.
Why you know. Nicoll N-i-c-o-l-L
Did you get it? BERTHE Nicoll, who
used to train with Billy Stokes and
1ne-and, by the way, I've asked Billy
down. too I'm not giggling l don't
giggle Say, Polly =. Well. TIL tell
YOU If you'l wait minute No, you
needn't 90 to any particular trouble,
only I'd like to have things nice, of
course. No, Billy won't stay. :.
WHY, this is what / wanted TO say;
I'm going TO tell Nick that you have
been called away, and when we come
YOU put on one of the girls dresses
and aprons and play maid. Why,
for a joke, of course. No, ] don't
suppose you do; it's hard sometimes
90 make you see anything. No, you
do that. Polly, just to please me.
Wen let things develop themselves,
and wen have whole lot of fun
out of IL. You tell the kids not to
call you mamma or give the thing
away, and I'll put Billy next"
That was the substance Of the con
versation. II happens, unfortunate
", that Mrs. Keister really thinks