Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-05-10
Keister's Little Joke
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


IN Stokes to dine with him at his
house in the suburbs. Nicoll had Just
arrived in town on weeks
business trip and had surprised Keis-
ter by 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. Keister's first inn
pulse was to hurl the inkstand at his
visitor, but when he saw who it was
ne contented himself with pommel-
ing him around the room to show his
JOY. Then he forced him into a chair
and beamed on him.
Married and done for, l hear"
said Ncoll.
Three children, to boot" said
keister, with conscious pride. "About
the smoothest little bunch you ever
but, then, you shall see them and
judge for yourself You must come
and stay with me while you are here.
No; excuses don't go. I'll tell you
what; I'll ask Billy Stokes to dinner,
and IT we don't have coy old pow
WOW over old times tonight! Sure!
Billys on earth. No, he isn't mar
ried, but the chances are good in
about another month. Same old Bill
ly; not a hairs difference. You
haven't changed bit, either. Look
as natural as ever. What do you
think of me? OF course we all have
our troubles and they don't make us
any younger, but they tell me i hold
my own pretty well. You ought to
have married, Nick; but then j guess
you're too young yet to settle down.
swell, if / do go down with you,
you'll be putting up some Job or an
other on me-" said Nicoll.
"Not much. I've quit all that and
sobered down. I'll call Stokes up
right away. Say, but I'm sorry that
/ can't drop everything and go out
with you right now, but it Just hap
pens that you've caught me when I've
got my hands full of lot of business
that must be attended to. See those
papers stacked up there? Well, We'll
make up for it tonight, anyway
Well, if you've got business yourself
it don't so much matter. You can
get through by half-past four, can't
you? Very well, then. You come
here at that time and you'll find Billy
and me here waiting for you. Don't
make it any later, and we can catch
the 4:45. Bring your satchel with
you with enough things for a week
Well, good by,old fellow, for the
present. I'll give you time, all
right"
As soon as Nicoll had gone Keister
went to the telephone and called up
Stokes. Stokes had been one of the
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
Keister attacked his papers and was
busy with them until lunch time It
occurred to HIM then that it was his
duty to let Mrs. Keister know some
thing about the intended dinner par
ty, and in the same instant he won
dered what kind of ''iob" he could
''put up" on his old friend. That was
Keister's weakness. In the old days
he had been famous for his practical
Jokes, and it gratified him to think
that Nicoll recollected it. This should
have filed him with shame, however,
for they had been very dreary prae.
teal Jokes, and still were dreary
Suddenly he began to chuckle. An
idea had come to him. He 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 Nicoll over to dinner tonight,
and he'll 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
me-and, by the way, I've asked Billy
down, too. I'm not giggling. l don't
giggle. Say, Polly Well, I'll tell
you if you'll wait minute. No, you
needn't go to any particular trouble,
only I'd like to have things nice, of
course. No, Billy won't stay.
Why, this is what l 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, l don't
suppose you do; it's hard sometimes
to make you see anything. No, you
do the5, Polly, just to please me.
Well let things develop themselves,
and we'll have a whole lot of fun
out of it. You tell the kids not to
call you mamma or give the thing
away, and III put Billy next"
When Stokes came around Keist5'
gleefully informed him of the joG'
that he was going to play on Med
but Stokes somehow failed to see
point of the thing. Keister was ra
err annoyed about it, but he sai3'"'
would carry it out, anyway.
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