Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-04-12
THE Y
! STENOGRAPHERS' PRANK :
AND
: ITS ROMANTIC RESULT. :

office boy. William is not a duh boy,
but he hardly wei~hs his words as
carefully as he may do when he gets
older. He said
Il bet them delegates won't tell
their wives al 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 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 it's 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 mat
ter Of slight Importance and signi.
fcant in only = 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
crowning 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-haircd 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 ey.
cite no notice whatever. It wouldn't
be seen. and if it was seen it 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
I'm 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.
~ ln1ana4Nc fa
in and hang up their coats. There
were perhaps 80 of them. altogether.
AS soon as they were all comfortably
behind the closed door Miss Purdue
rose from her typewriter and beck
oned to her friend.
Miss Benedict. however. refused to
be enticed from her work. She said
"Pll keep right on so as to avert sus.
picion." WhereuDon Miss Purdue ac-
cused her of being "'fraid cat" and
opening the little drawer of the type
writer stand took from it respectable
hank of golden hair. She then went
over to where the coats We're hanging
and proceeded to deck them with the
shining strands.
She did it artistically-not so that
the hairs would be at once perceived,
but that frcm their concealment be-
meath the collars. behind lapels and
under pocket flaps they would work
out in time to the confusion of those
who had unEnowingly harbored them.
Here and there she tucked a few in
the sleeve Innings.
1t was this that betrayed them. They
should have waited until the asst day
of the session. AS it was. the dele
gates had one more day, possibly two,
to attend. The day after the bur
nished threads had been placed the
two young women heard sudden
burst of laughter from the committee
room. This was SO strange. so en-
tirely without precedent. that they
looked at each other in amazement
William, the Office boy. came out of
the room at this time. and Miss Pur-
due instantly pounced upon him.
What are they laughing at. Will
liam?" she said
"Tell u.s. commanded Miss Bene-
dict.
William Indignantly shook himself
free from their clutches. "Aw. say"
he exclaimed. Then he grinned and
added: "They picked wonans hair
off'n Mr.. Harmcrs coat. They've got
it on him. all right It's a cinch. none
of them others don't have to pay for
any drinks or secgars as longs they're
in town an keep close to him. Oh,
say! 1t was peach-as long as
your arm and"
Here he stopped, his eye encounter
ing Miss Benedict's massy coiffure
His grin widened and he suddenly put
his hand before it and doubled him
self up in an ecstacy of mirth. Miss
Purdue promptly cufed him and he
fled, pursued by the two. and took
refuge in the telephone cabinet.
In about five minutes the committee
room door opened. and tho delegates
came out. Their faces were wreathed
in smiles. and as man. as could get