Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-09-18
The End Of a
Practical Joke
BY EDWARD EVERETT HORTON
(copyright.)

IF you will keep quiet and act like
a rational being, my dear" / say
somewhat impatiently, to my young
sister, Il will read the letter again
Listen:
Havana, Jan. D.-My Dear Daugh-
tiers: 1t is with great qualification that 1
am able at last to accurately determine
the date OF my departure from this city
for my beloved Maryland home, which. 1
am happy TO say, / hope never TO leave
again. My business affairs In South
America have terminated far more sue
cessfully han I had expected, and If. on
my return, / find my charming daughters
and all my friends enjoying half as good
health as / do, then shall l be happy In
deed.
"I purpose leaving here on the oath
on the Habana, which sails for New
York, and il everything goes well viii
be with you on the 18th. Your loving IA
Their. HENRY FAIRFAX,
"P. SIN my wanderings in South
America l came across a very fine
Here | stop reading. There is a
blotted word on the paper which |
cannot make out. Lillian, my sister,
is quieting down somewhat, looks
over my shoulder to assist in solving
the knotty problem.
"-whom / call the Cheruo, and as he
is a splendid specimen, / intend bringing
him with me. Send Jackson to the sta
ton late In the afternoon.
FATHER"
Joy! joy" cries the irrepressible
Lillian, clapping her hands and hug
ging me. After all these years he
is coming home. Oh, how thankful
/ am"
Gently | disengaged my sisters
arms from around my neck and wipe
away tears of Joy.
God has been very good to us" |
say, impressively, ever since mother
died. Let us thank him for 1t"
Taking the letter from my hand,
Lillian essays to read the blotted
word. finally uttering a little cry OF
vexation. What can it be-" she
says again and again, and her per-
sistence causes me to look up.
"oh," I say, carelessly, probably
some native of the jungle-a mulatto
boy, perhaps; Or maybe it's a dog"
5ilence again for a full minute.
Then:
Rose says Lillian, solemnly,
weighing each word, ARE you blind?
Do you not recall what a practical
joker father is?"
/ readily yielded this point. No jol-
lier man ever lived than Henry Fair
fax, is the comment of those who
know him; and | have had reason to
remember many of his tricks.
Its as plain as day. The Cherub,
as father calls him. is an ugly, mis-
chievous, peace-destroying. tantilizing
monkey" says Lillian, dwelling on the
syllables Of the adjectives to give
them proper weight, "and that blot
on the paper is made purposely to
set his charming daughters to guess
ing. So there!"
/ sink lack in my chair, perfectly
aghast and unnerved.
What! a monkey In this house,
known of all homes for it's order and
nicely; a monkey here to pull Rover's
tail and to brighten Aunt Chloe out
of her wits; to tear the feathers out
of the parrots tail and to kill my pet
canaries. to say nothing of running
yes, running my roots and bulbs
In the dollhouse; a monkey in this
house to-to-to--
My tongue fails me. The awful
truth of my sisters words comes with
crushing force. Long and earnestly
we discuss the alarming situation.
many are the suggestions offered and
plans made for preventing the me
my's entrance into our sacred home.
We finally evolved an elaborate plan
to take the 'horrid' cherub from
father Immediately On his arrival and
set him free.