Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-04-09
THE MAN WHO LAUGHED.
He simply Had To, and His "Touchy"
NeI&hbOr Had 20 Make the
Best of II.


A Gates avenue car, bound for Man
haitian, was comfortably full and
bowling along on all it's wheels the
other morning, and no one had the
slightest idSa that a tragedy was at
hand. In one of the corner seats sat an
oldish man with a newspaper held
close to his nose, and opposite him sat
man of 80 who was reading the signs
in the car and chewing gum. AS he
crossed his legs his foot happened to
touch the old mans knees, and he was
instantly greeted with:
Say, now, but who are you kickin'?"
81 beg pardon for touching your
knee"
Mighty funny that can't sit in a
street car without bein' kicked!"
Nobody kicked you, sir"
"Yes they did. guess l know when
I'm kicked! What you laughin' at?"
please excuse me, will your" an
swered the other.
mo, l won't excuse you. Nobody
can kick me and then laugh about it.
Say, you are the man who went Hal
hal hal when fell down last winter.
Yes, you are the very man. l was
walkin' along and struck an icy spot
and"
"And your feet went out from under
you and you came down kerslam-ha!
hal hal"
Are you laughin' about that YETI"
"Yes; can't help it-ha! ha! la!
Your feet went up-you clawed the air
you uttered a war whoop and-hal
hal hal"
Look here" said the old man, as he
bristled up, "a man who will laugh
because another man fell down is moth
in but a critter. I'll bet you are the
man who laughed 'Hol no! hol' when
1 struck banana peel one day last
week. Don't deny it, sir. remember
your voice"
eyes, I'm the man. was right be-
hind you. You gave sort of jump,
your hat fell off, and when you struck
-ha! ha! hal"
"And it tickled you most to death
to see me half kill myself, did it?
Say, do you know what I think ofyou?
I've met some blamed mean men in my
time, but-there you go again"
Il can't help it-ha! ha! ha! 1
almost went into commissions over it.
You see, you started to fly, your back
bumped up, and-ho! no! hol"
Ladies and gentlemen" said the old
man as he stood up and pointed his
finger, "look at that critter. May
heaven help his wife and children.
Say, come to look at him closer, I'll bet
he's the wretch who went HUI! hu!
hui when 1 got off this street car one
day last week and fell all over the
road"
eyes, I'm the man-ha! ha! hal"
exclaimed the other. 81 was on the
platform and you dropped off, and, be-
ing stiff in the knees, you took tum-
BILE. l didn't laugh as quite as hard
as before, but-ha! ha! ha! I've had
more fun out of you than a barrel OF
monkeys, and 1 shall be glad to-ho!
ho! ho!"
"sir, do you mean to insult me over
and over again?"
mo, sir; but it was so funny-so
funny-hal ha! hal"
Conductor" said the old man, as
the door was opened, "will you put
that critter off the carp"
"I've no right to, sir" answered the
official.
"Then, sir, then, ladies and gentle
men and that critter sittin' there with
a red face-my sense of honor compels
me to withdraw from such society, and
60"
He went, says the Brooklyn Citizen,
and the man who laughed followed
him out on the platform. The conduc-
tor started to ring the bell, but the old
man waved his hand and stepped off
and went sprawling in the mud, and
as he struggled to his feet and shook
his fist at the car, the "critter" waved
his hand in return and laughed: "Ha!
bor bot bOi bui buio