The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-02-18
A Practical
Joke
II Turned Out Seriously In
Two Respects
By ARTHUR D. PURDY

beOoOseoOo Q . .
Sue Gwinne was known as the big
gest little devil in B. We were all
young then and were inclined to be
frolicsome. l was, 50 far as l know,
the only serious one in the lot l sup
pose that this was the reason l fell
In love with Sue Opposltes take to
each other. and by good rights Sue
should have returned my proffered af-
lection, but she did not At any rate.
| couldn't be sure for more than half
an hour at time that she did She
would say something very sweet to
me, raising me to the pinnacle of &C.
stasy, then cast me down by cold treat
ment.
1t seemed to delight her to make me
miserable, and why l couldn't under
stand. l wondered why she didn't
play her pranks on the rest of the
boys. 1 couldn't see that they had
any especial advantages over me- Nor
was l considered stupid. Why, then.
had she picked me out to torment7
Sue had kept me In chronic state
of fret during the fall and winter, but
when the season was about to close
seemed inclined to let up somewhat In
her endeavors to make me miserable.
Our set agreed to end the winters
festivities by fancy dress ball. De-
Gliding upon or getting up a costume
was entirely out of my line, for l had
no inventive faculty In such matters.
In my dilemma Sue kindly came to
my assistance Leave 1t to me-" she
said, land l guarantee that you shall
have one Of the most striking costumes
at the ball.
me, but set me up with regard to her
preference for me. Had she not picked
me- out among all the fellows for an
act of kindness? And when she told
me that she would make my costume
with her own hands | was proud as a
peacock. All she wanted was few
measurements. As to material. she said
1t would cost little or nothing l asked
her what the costume was to be, but
she wouldn't tell me, assuring me that
l would be much pleased with it. /
really cared very little what l repre-
scented, whether it was Louis XIV,
Oliver Cromwell or George Washing
ton. l was quite content to leave the
whole matter to Sue, believing that she
would provide costume in keeping
with my dignity.
The afternoon of the day on which
the ball was to take place Sue tele-
phoned me that | had better come to
her house and try on my costume.
did so and met with surprise There
was not the least doubt as to my caus-
ing a sensation in IT or that it would
be considered the most striking cos
tune at the ball was to represent a
bird of paradise.
On a light framework was the body
of the bird, its feathers made Of tissue
paper. Space was left in the center
for my body, and stockings Of prop
er color were provided for my legs
The tail was a wonder. Beautiful
streamers composed of many hues shot
out in the rear, resembling either the
tail of bird of paradise or a rainbow,
whichever the beholder chose.
confess l was very crestfallen. The
prospect OF disporting myself In this
gaudy apparel was especially dis
agreeable to me. / refused to use it
Sue had two or three Of her girl
friends with her, who at once mani
tested great establishment that l did
not appreciate 1t, and Sue herself look
ed very much put out that all her trou-
Bile should have been for nothing. Be
tween them they succeeded In per
suading me to put 1t on. l did so and
was no sooner decorated with it than
they all cried at once: Splendid
Beautiful 1t will be the finest thing
In the room! What an original ideaT
Well, l simply yielded my consent to
make fool Of myself, because four
girls set themselves to the task OF
forcing me to do so. Each one OF
them promised to make 1t easy for me
by their support, giving me the most
of their time and dances at the ball
though how / was to sweep that three
yards of tail around In dance ! did
not know, and they failed to explain.
We are any of us liable to do some
thing and afterward cannot under
stand how we were silly enough to
have done 1t. and this was case In
yoint with me- | knew all the while
blat | should refuse to wear such a
costume, but | didn't have the stamina
In me to withstand these girls. Be
sides, feared that if | failed to ap-
pear In it after the pains Sue had tax
en- in designing and making 1t l would
break the thread that bound her to me
On the night of the ball | was oblig-
ed to carry my costume to the building
where it took place and put 1t on there
Had gone through the streets with ii
on l should have been mobbed. The
moment | entered the ballroom every
eye was fixed upon me- The girls who
had persuaded me to wear the bird
stood by their promise to support me,
and all clustered about me, each claim
ing the honor of the first dance with
me. though they all at last gave way to
Sue.
l shall never forget that dance. Had
l been the kind of a fellow to make q
guy of myself In order to afford amuse-
ment for others I would have consider
ed myself to be covered with glory.
Being quiet, serious. studious, digni-
Hed person, was In an agony. Every
turn I made IN the dance, sweeping m,
nine feet of tail behind me, excited tn
laughter not only of those In the Sc
with me, but every one In the room
The antics Of the others to get out o
the way of my tail feathers we're alon
enough to set the whole company int
q babel Of hilarity. One couple afte
another stopped dancing to look at m
| till at last the set | was with was tn
only one remaining on the floor, tn
others forming a ring around US t
laugh at me- l made a break to ge
away, but Sue caught Inc by the tai
and held me long enough for others t
| interfere and put me back in my place
And so / was forced to make spec
tacle of myself for the others till tn
end of the dance. Sue endeavored
keep me steady by an occasional pres
| sure of the hand or some other metho
Of coddling me. But my mortiicatio
and anger were gradually getting tn
better Of me- and, though l conceale
1t, l was vowing vengeance on her.
occurred to me that no girl would thu
demean a man she felt any love fo
and that she had taken this means G
showing her contempt for me.
BY the time had finished this frs
dance l was ready to leave the room