The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-21
FIOSSy and Lady from Boston

chicago ana Drought out mere 10 pre-
side over his advertising department. |
The relic was of the female sex. and
her icy attitude had an exceedingly |
chilly effect on the gay and bhthesome
solicitors whose business it was to get
her signature to advertising contracts
for their various publications.
''Ill tell you what said one of the
solicitors, who was a most persevering
individual. Il am bound to get an adj
vertising contract from that old lady.
My reputation depends on it. 1 am go
ing home now to think of a scheme
His fellow solicitors smiled They
had all tried their wiles on the old
lady, and all in vain. But they did not
do justice to the depth of intellect pos
sessed by the man they laughed at.
He went home, sat down. and thought
and thought
What" he asked himself ARE
maiden ladies of an uncertain age
chiefly interested imp
For five minutes he sat still while
the wheels revolved- Then, like an in
spiration, the proper answer to that
riddle came into his head.
Maiden ladies of an uncertain age
are chiefly interested in cats" was the
way he out it to himself. Il will tell
her 4 cat story.
What. if anything. could be ex-
pected to start a slight thaw in the icy
atmosphere which surrounds her?
What has such a softening, such a
genializing influence as humor? I will
tell the old lady a funny cat story"
With the problem solved he acquired
what he thought was an amusing story
about a cat, and thus equipped again
sent in his card to the feminine adver-
Using manager from Boston. Artfully
he steered the conversation into the di-
rection of felines, and at the proper mo-
ment he began his great experiment
THE wife Of a friend of mine who
lived in Jersey City" he began, had as
her dearest pet a handsome tabby which
was caleld Flossy. The tabby lived to a
great old age, and finally, in the due
course of time, became defunct. This
sad event happened in tie winter time,
and it was therefore impossible to pro-
vide for Flossy fitting sepulcher in the
frozen earth. My friends wife, in her
dilemma, appealed to her husband.
Every morning on his way to his office
in the city my friend crossed from the
Jersey shore on the ferry.
Fred, said his wife, I am anxious
that Flossy shall have a proper burial.
will wrap the remains neatly in a par
Gel. and when you cross the river this
morning you can commit them to the
deep
d" Certainly said my friend. The
parcel was neatly wrapped in brown
paper and he carried it in one hand
when he left the house. While waiting
for the ferryboat to start he got into
conversation with a friend who proved
boat on the New York side he found
that he still had FlOssy in his possess
sion.
20, never mind he said to himself
I'll keep Flossy here at the office, and
when 1 go home tonight I'll take her
along and drop her into the river
Accordingly he dismissed Flossy
from his mind entirely and plunged in
to his days work.
The advertising solicitor, who was
telling the story. was glad to note that
by the time he had reached this point
IN the narrative he had succeeded in
getting the close attention not only of
the lady from Boston but as we'll that
of the four or five clerks and stenog-
raphers in the room. They had all quit
their work and were listening eagerly
to his story. Already he saw success
ahead, and with that as an inspiration
he told the rest of the story with re-
~ newed animation and enthusiasm. He
l2olled the old lady from Boston
Straight in the eye and went on.
when evening came he picked up
F'lossy, still wrapped in her brown
paper shroud, and took a car from his
office down to the ferryboat. At the
dock. as it happened, he met gain the
friend with whom he had talked during
the trip across the river in the morn
ing They exchanged saIutations, and,
half unconsciously, he noticed that his
friend also carried a brown paper par
eel in one hand.
The two men walked into the cabin
ana sat QCWn JOS6lneI on the plush
covered seats which ran along one side
of the room Between was a vacant
seat. on which they laid their respec-
tive bJtdles.
1.-The talk between them was on the
prospects for a rise in Metropolitan
stock, q subject on which my friends
friend was especially we'll posted. And
as my friend held an interest of several
thousand dollars in the stock, it is easy
to understand why he was deeply in
TnTeSfpl what COIll6 learn
prospects.
AT any rate he listened so closely
to the story that presently the boa1
landed at the dock in Jersey City, and
he sat up with a shock to remember
that he had again forgotten to decent
" inter Flossy. But he picked up his
bundle from the vacant seat and went
on home, smiling at the curious train
of circumstances which had resulted
in still leaving Flossy on his hands
Having Il well developed sense of hui
NOR, my friend felt no anger at fate
for playing him such a trick. It was
merely a good joke on himself. That
was all. He would carry Flossy home
again and tell his wife about it. Then
in the morning, he would make it his
business to see that the proper rites
and ceremonies were performed
The advertising solicitor was nearing
the point and climax of his story. He
stopped for moment and looked to
see how it was going. The lady from
Boston was all attention. There was
an almost tender, sympathetic look in
her eyes. He could see her in imagi-
nation, already fixing her name to a
large advertising contract. The stem
ographers and clerks In the room still
sat motionless, drinking in every word
(which fell from his mouth.
My friend walked on home, with
his brown paper parcel in his hand.
His wife met him at the door.
I've brought F'lossy back he said
I forgot about dropping her into the
river, both going over and coming
back
'.Then he went on and told her in de-
the story Of the DAYS rlnisa q lures