The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-12-12
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his LITTLE JOKE !
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Ma ~zzakzzzD . GzszEMD 80
The girl with the hat that had a
hugo cabbage rose on it permitted a
frown to gather on her brow. AL
ways" she said, slowly and distinct
ly, IT have thought that I disliked
people who play practical jokes and
now I know it is ever worse. They
arouse a deadly hatred in me-"
"You talk like a cheap melo-
DRAMA" remarked the girl with the
angelic eyes.
"Melodrama nothing!" remarked
the girl with the cabbage rose cts
a tragedy, nothing less! I suppose
Bert Randall thought he was justi-
fed because I had been boasting that
/ was too sharp to be taken in by
any ordinary sell-and then he never
did like the minister anyway! If
only I could lay my hands on him
q minute to find out"
1--WE often wondered which Of the
two you liked the BETTER" inter-
rupted the girl with the angelic eyes.
~.'Did the joke help you to find out?"
Don't be silly!" said the girl with
the cabbage rose.
II was called to the telephone yes
terday," she went IN, land a curt
voice announced that the speaker was
a newspaper reporter who desired to
verify a notice his paper had received
to the effect that my engagement to
The Rev. Mr.. Fairman was just an
nounced. I nearly choked in my
hurry, to assure him there must be a
mistake, that it wasn't so at all, and
for goodness sake not to print any
such dreadful thing. He was very
nice and said If the announcement
was premature the paper had no de-
sire to print it. 80
Z, Il broke in to explain that it
wasn't premature and then he broke
In to inquire in an injured voice why
If 1t was so I objected to the publica-
ton. Then I had to explain in de-
tail that it wasn't premature because
1t wasn't so at all and wasn't going
to be so.
HE said that sometimes one could
not tell and that he really could not
understand why such a notice came
In II there wasn't some truth in it.
So there we stood and quarreled
about it, I was getting madden and
madden at the universe in general
at the reporter for his persistence, at
the Rev. Mr.. Fairman for aver exist
ing on the same earth with me and,
most Of all, at whoever had sent in
such a dreadful announcement!
tJust when I was almost crying
there was a break in the even, polite
tone at the other end of the wire and
like a fash of lightning it burst upon
me that no one but Bert Randall had
that particular little quaver when he
was trying not to laugh.
"You think you're mighty clever,
Bert Randall, don't your" I asked,
with hysterical calm. But he wouldn't
give in. He said he really couldn't
understand me. So I said neither
could I understand him. Then I
hung up the receiver.
81 wanted to Cry and I wanted to
laugh-because it was so cleverly
done. Don't you think Bert is dread
fully bright?".
"Oh, horribly" cheerfully agreed
the girl with the angelic eyes.
We'll, in a couple of hours the
phone rang again and this time the
voice announced calmly that the
speaker was the Rev. Mr.. Fairman
and he wished to inquire about some
thing rather odd. I just fared at
out at that. I thought Bert was
going rather too far. I knew it was
Bert because Mr.. Fairman never
called ms up on the phone but once
in his life and that time it was about
the bazaar.
II determined to give Bert a little
excitement, so I answered in 4 sweet,
smooth voice and said I supposed ii
was in regard to our engagement. ]
asked if he knew the papers were to
print the announcement the next day,
Bert played his part to perfection,
He seemed politely troubled and muir
INJURED that he had not been aware
of the fact. I called him dearest and
rallied him about his forgetfulness
That confused him so he couldn't say
a word. Then I piled it on.
II called him Chauncey-that's
MIR. Fairman's name, you know-and
said I had simply been counting the
minutes since I saw him last. I asked
when he would be up again.
incurred over the publicity when the
world found out about our engage
ment and asked if he thought wee
be Just as much to each other as be
fore.
t"Then I paused a moment to let i
sink in, after which I asked Bert i
he had enough and would call i
quits. He said lie thought it would
be lots better to call it quits, but h