The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-31
The Pun-Maker and
the Curl Papers.
BY ALLEN PAYNE.


slippers and smile-well, one thatthe reflection
of which would turn cream sour.
She was way beyond her thirties and still
lowering in the realm of single bliss, not on
account of faults of others, for men in her eyes
had none, they were perfect specimens of cres-
ton and she just longed to have one.
She made her abode with her mother. woman
in her tifties, but rather young looking for her
age. She was not beautiful, nay, far from it, but
she presented a mich better appearance than her
daughter and could easily have caught man had
she desired one
1t was bed time. The evening had been long
one. Susan sat beside centre table with an old
newspaper In her Jap. She tore corners from its
printed pages which she made into curl papers.
Susan was going to a festival the following night
and having ample time she began to primp up.
The anticipation was perhaps equal to the oc-
casiOn itself and with it she had full hopes of
catching man. Her very existence depended
upon those hopes. Dying in despair was never
in her category of thoughts and ideas.
Susan had torn several pieces from the paper
and was about to make use of one of them when
this item caught her eye.
DAILY Family .Tree.-An old maid is from the
crab APPLE
1.-The impudence of the chap who wrote that is
beyond all forgiveness. Ma. what do you think
of tkat?' said Susan throwing the piece of paper
to her mother at the opposite side of the table.
Picking up the slip, her mother glanced at it II
moment and then look of wonderment came
over her countenance.
"Impudence child, why 1 fail to see any in
this, the very thing you have desired and hoped
for so long"
'What, mother2'
"a man."
"a manr'
Eyes, here is matrimonial 'ad,' a man past
middle age wants wife,"
Susan was on her feet in second.
Motheri'
Eyes, dear, it's here" and Susan made a bee
line for her mothers side ard glanced over her
shoulder. Sure enough there was the "ad."
Susan's heart was on the point of stopping and
hastily grabbing the paper from her mothers
hand started to read 'Daily Family" and quickly
reversing the slip she beheld the one chance, as
she thought, OF her life. The mail man had one
letter to carry to the post Office in his morn
ing collections. Susan had forgotten the impu-
dence OF the side in her eagerness for hopes of
rich reward from the other.
She used that slip for curl paper. however, for
good luck and to dream over and during the
night, which was restless one, she saw q num-
Der, in her dreams. but she eager to obtain
one of them that she remembered little to their
appearances excepting flowing gray mustache, a
sonnet hing she always admired. still she was not
particular about it, just so it was critter that
wore brooches.
"How much am bid, how much? It's dandy.
good and heavy. baked by the prettiest girl this
side of the pike. Now how much?'
twenty-five"
TWENTY-FIVE cents is the bid Thank you.
Make 1t thirty, thirty-the man who buys this box
will be the envy of all present. Thirty. Whoever
is lucky enough to get this will grow big and fat.
Thus spoke q man as loud as his lungs would
permit. He was perched upon box and in his
hand he held nicely wrapped package. The
scene was an animated one. the walls of large
hail. beautifully decorated. its sides lined with
handsome booths. loaded down with goods of
every description for rattle and for sale. Hun
dreds of well dressed people were moving about
the hall. Gayety reigned supreme and surround.
ing the suctioneer 9 goodly crowd, very
much interested in the sale well as the con.
tents Of the packages.
Each package. containing lunch for two, was
packed by some unknown lady. whose name was
written q card and enclosed IN the package. the
highest bidder taking the pig In the bag. opening
the box and then setting out on hunt for the
packer. spend the evening in her company aud
enjoy the contents of the package.
Say, Dave you better buy that package
"Im married man. Buy it yourself, you're
single"
"oh! your Annie won't know anything about
II. She wouldn't care anyway. Buy it for joke
and we'll eat it ourselves"
buy 1t yourself
"You always write and do such funny things,
it would be more funny for you than for me.
Why, Dave, you might get an inspiration"
II don't want it,
II dare you"
"Ill take the dare"
And for fifty cents Dave carried the box under
his arm, accompanied by his chum to a remote
corner, amid the smiles of the bystanders, and
began to open his prize. Dave intended to poke
the whole thing on his chum, whoever the
packer might be, whether pretty or not He ex
pected to get more than his fifty cents worth of
fun out of it and make his chum pay for his
persistence.
IT they had been two children opening Christ
mas presents they could not have been more cur.
ious to see the name enclosed therein. When the
lid was finally removed it disclosed daintily
prepared lunch and card with the inscription:
"Susan Darling"
"And bet she is" remarked the chum. But
he noticed peculiar look on Dawes face.
"Why, Dave, what is the trouble? Do you feel
ill?"
aust had slight pain in my head, I'll feel o.
X. in a moment"
Suppose we go out and have something. 1t
NAV he too close in here for YOU besides fresh air