The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-03-30
AS 1T REALLY HAPPENED.
The old Geatiemnn Thought uc could
skate Hui lie Only Made
Hole III the Lee.

Hole IN the Ice.
The rotnnd. red-eheeked whites
side-whiskered, portly. dignihed-look-
ing man With the silk hat. the fine
osercoat and the ivory handled cane.
stood on the bank. watching the
nimhle lads and lasses as they cir.
eled and flew OYER the pond on their
skates. Ills face was wreathed in
smiles. says the Washington Star.
well do | remember he appeared
TO be saying TO himself, my own
days at that sport. The sight Of
these Joyous young ones brings It
all back 10 me-
SON." said he 10 n hoy who
skated up 10 where he was standing.
in order 10 adjust one of his club
skates. "how do You put those new
tangled things on. anyhow"
why. yon just slip your shoes into
EN- and tighten 'em up. sir replied
the lad, smiling at the old gentle
man.
Don't you bore hole in your heel
with gimlet any more, and then
screw the skate on2" inquired the
rubiesiud. portly man.
No. sir: those are the nid-fash-
ioned kind of skates. These are club
skates. All the fellows have club
skates nowadays. and even the
girls"
Now. Is that SOL" said the portly
man In the silk hat. Dear me. but
how things do change. Now. how do
you brace your ankles with those
highfnlutin' eontraptions? We used
to have lot of straps passing over
our ankles to brace them"
"Nell. the fellows nowadays get
along without any ankle braces, sir"
replied tine boy.
DO. hnh2" said the old gentle
man. "Well, with all due respect 10
you and your generation, son, the
boys of this day aren't my shlftier
on their feet than the boys of my
day were. Fact is, although haven't
done any skating for nigh on TO Is
years. | believe that ! can get along
| just as well on the ice ut this mo-
ment as | could when | WINS shaver.
just let me try those skates of yours
on, will you. my boy2' and the old
gentleman dug his fingers into his
change pocket and produced a quar-
ter. which he handed TO the boy, who
promptly sat down on the bank and
took off his skates. hnnding them over
to the old gentleman. The lad was
n tall boy, with eizable feet. and the
old gentleman's feet were unusually
small, so TINT the skates fitted MI
right. The boy locked them on with
his key and the old gentleman stood
up and walked slowly out TO the ice
There was confident smile on his
rosy face, and all of the boys ant
+ girls on the pond gathered round Il
see the fun Holding his ivory handled
cane out in front of him at arms
length the rotund old gentleman gays
one long glide and
Now. right here, according TO nj
existing humorous canons, the ro
tund old gentleman ought To skate
on one foot. with long, graceful
glide, right out to the middle of ths
pond. and there begin to spin arounf
like n Norwegian professional, nnt
cut fgure-of-eight knots. and spread
eagles. and perfect circles. and things
like that Then he should skate
gracefully back, where the chaRrined
boys and girls are still standing. re
move his skates and .say. the while
the youngsters look foolish: well,
boys, I guess I'm not such an old
man yet. eb?v
However. facts are facts, and the
gentle reader Is respectfully referred
TO hole about eight feet by twelve
right on the northwestern edge Of the
lake If he desires 10 ascertain what
actually happened TO the rotund. red
checked. te-side-whiskered. portly,
dignified-looiing man with the silk
hat. the fine oyereoat and the ivory
handled cane, who was 50 iinwise as
10 think that barking baet mentally
and physically for o period covering
45 years are one and The same Thing.