Middletown transcript., 1909-07-17
THE JOKE ON EPHRAIM
BY FRANCES MARGARET FOX

one reason ne u0SlIdGSu SOl4
time before deciding to play al
April fool trick that would causl
his friend much trouble. On,
reason, mind you; the other wa
because Jimmy was afraid to d.
his part in the matter. Not tina
Jimmy was a coward. He wa'
brave as most ten-year-old boys
butit required courage to play
that particular April fool trick.
The boy lived on a ranct
among the foothills of the Sar
Bernardino mountains in South.
ern California. His father owned
one COW, and it was Ephraim's +
custom to milk that one COW after
dark every night The creature
wore a bell, which seemed un
necessary, as she was never al
lowed to roam at will, but was
always tied somewhere near the
ranch house.
After supper Jimmy usually
watched Ephraim's every move,
and the minute the man reached
for his lantern, a small cap Was
forthcoming and its owner was
ready to help milk-at least the
boy called it helping. AS a mat
ter of fact Jimmy liked the hunt
ing stories Ephriam told while he
leisurely MIXED the COW.
From morning until noon on
the first day of April, which fell
on Saturday that year, Jimmy
tried iu vain to fool the hired
man.
Can't do it, Bub, said Ephraim.
Bigger boys than you have tried
to play jokes on this individual
and had to give it up. I amt SO
green as look. From Maine to
Mexico and from Alaska to the
Horn, I could always see through
jokes. They look flimsy to me.
l know what's coming from start
to finish.
At that moment an idea fash
ed into Jimmy's mind.
/ wonder if that's so! he n ock-
ed. Maybe you'll get an awful
trick played on you before mid
night. Maybe you'll wish you'd
never poked your nose into
Southern California!
Mebbe and mebbe not, replied
the hired man with a grin. But
tricks is like rubber balls. Some
times they bound back and hit
the one that started 'em. Better
go easy.
wouldn't go easy if it wasn't
for one thing, Jimmy declared. |
know | could get an April fool
on you if-if-
Oh, never mind the conse-
quences, urged Ephraim; we amt
had any excitement since your
goat chased that there real estate
agent a month ago.
Jimmy did mind the conse-
quences, nevertheless, and if
Bob, his fourteen.year old cousin,
had not come from town about 4
o'clock that afternoon to stay
over Sunday on the ranch the
first day of April might have
passed without incident.
Oh, Bob! exclaimed Jimmy.
Here's the best joke on Eph
rain! You know sometimes Bess.
gets loose and Ephraim has to go
after her. Well, then, just be-
fore supper let's take off her bell
and hide it. Then wen tie Bess
in a safe, new place, where Eph-
rain won't see her. Next thing
we'll hide with the bell until Eph
comes with the lantern to do the
milking. Then well creep away
up Oak canyon and jingle the bell.
When Mr.. Eph follows after
with the lantern well keep on
going tinkle-tinkle. .tinkle farther
and farther away up the hills
and into the canyons. All this
time Ephraim will be after us,
thinking he's on the cows trail,
and just at the right time we'll
shout April fool! What do you
say?
I say it's too easy TO get lost
in the foothills, objected Bob.
Oh, but you couldn' t lose Eph-
rain, Jimmy explained; he's a
regular timer in the noun
tains, in the desert and every
where. He can tell by looking
ats toadstool exactly how many
miles You are from Washington,
ID. @. We won't get far ahead Of
him; you remember old Bessi isn't
q vooo horsa