The weekly examiner., 1901-05-04
. Keister'S Little Joke
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house in the suburbs. Nicou had just arrived in town on weeks business trip and had surprised Keis- ter by breaking into his office unan- nounced and smiting him vigorously on the back to testify to his delight at once more meeting the friend of his bachelor days. Keister's first i'm pulse was to hurl the inkstand at his visitor, but when he saw who it was he contented himself with pommel- ing him around the room to show his joy. Then he forced him into chair and beamed on him.
 Married and done for, I hear," said Nicoll.
 ! '"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 if we don't have cozy old pow WOW over old times tonight Sure! Billy's on earth. No, he isn't mar ried, but the chances are good in about another month. Same old Bil- 1y; 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 we'll. You ought to have married, Nick; but then I guess you're too young yet to settle down. Nothing like it, though. No, it won't interfere with your business at all. It may sound as if it was far out, but the train gets you down there in ?. minutes, and you don't have to worry about getting seat"
 We'll, if do go down with you, you'll be putting up some Job or an- Sother on me-" said Nicoll.@A
 Not much. I've quit all that and sobered down. I'll call Stokes up right away. Say, but I'm sorry that. I 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? We'll, we'll make up for it tonight, anyway. We'll, if you've got business yourself it don't so much matter. You can get through by half-past four, can't you2 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. We'll, 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 'tjob'' 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 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. 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. NicoI. N-i-c-o-l-l. Did you get it? Bertie Nicoll, who used to train with Billy Stokes and me-and, by the way, I've asked Billy down, too. I'm not giggling. I don't giggle. Say, Polly We'll, 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 I 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, I don't suppose you do; it's hard sometimes to make you see anything. No, you do that, Polly, just to please me. We'll 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 I'll put Billy next"
 That was the substance of the con- yersation. It happens, unfortunate ly, that Mrs. Keister really thinks