The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-08-07

throwing himself into . chair. look.
ing bored.
Now, Ned had never before wit
messed one of the specialties of the
gifted Joel. He had heard him sing
in lthe choir and spout election times.
but this was q star rendition.
Joel had some voice-in fact. too
much of 1t. The Gladiator he rep
resented made Ned smile. He must
have been born with a cold. The
funny par: of it, however. was the
most excruciatingly funny spectacle
Ned had ever come across. Even the
agent was stimulated. He sat up, his
face aglow with amusement. Ned hid
behind q screen and held his sides to
keep from yelling outright.
It was the gestures of Joel that
were appallingly ridiculous. In tho
far east q glow" and he flung his
hand to the south. up among those
holy stars" and his finger pointed
through to China. Il am rock-root-
ed" and he stood limp and awkward.
My tender, gentle love" and no
scowled and struck the attitude OF .
prize fighter. His arms continually
swung about like windmills, he glided
where he should have fingered, he
WINGED, he grimaced, he went bounc-
ing about like jumping jack.
"There!" he shouted, breathlessly
triumphant at the last, what do you
think of that?"
MY friend" said the agent, arising,
suppressing smile, your forte is pan
tomime. You are wonder as facial
contortionist Show in the next Client
he ordered to his Office boy. Good
day, sir"
Joel Randall was scandalized. He
fumed, he raved to his companion.
why, the arrogant nonentity!" he
stormed. Does he take me for a
Humpty Dumpty clown? He's jealous
of my voice. Ned, you're friend?'
DO you doubt it, Joel?'
mo, and l hope you will do some
thing for me-"
"And what's that, Ned?"
Il want you to find me an unpreju
diced audience. All strangers, and un
| prejudiced. Let me come upon them
Unexpectedly. Their verdict shall de
| eide and establish or doom my loren
sic ability"
"Ah, my chance!" chuckled Ned
Wallace jubilantly to himself. Deal
Winnie, I'm going to win her, sure,
and two days later Ned advised his
friend.
| Joel, I've arranged it all. At g.:
this evening you are to go with me
to deliver your two special voice fea
lures before an audience of 100 peo
ple."
Where are they?" questioned Joel
mo, no, JOEL" chided Ned playfully
You wanted a strange audience, yol
said. Keep it strange to yourself al
we'll. I'll guarantee a most strang,
i and attentive audience"
And that evening the two friend!
entered a large building and wer'
shown behind the stage. A few min
utes later Joel faced a good sized au
dience He was encouraged as HI
noted the eager and attentive expires
sion in the bright. cheerful faces be
fore him.
He sang his favorite song first
There was some applause. not much
1t was when he began his Grafton abou
The Gladiator" that many of the au
dience began to writhe. They uttere'
no words. They simply smiled, smiled
smiled. Then they writhed. Two o
them fell over in their seats.
Did you see!" cried Joel, as h
came back to Ned behind the scenes
you could have heard a pin droI
They were actually hypnotized into al
tention and appreciation"
Ned nodded and smiled. Then, a
they reached their hotel. he let tn
cat out Of the bag.
JOEL" he said, that was the onl
audience could arrange for. The
are inmates of an asylum"
What kind OF an asylum" quel
toned Joel.
Deaf and dumb" replied Net
Those who couldn't hear, were 8
amused with your pantomime ths
they nearly had fits. Those who coul
hear, weren't much impressed wit
the big voice, So"
Joel flushed. Then he got mat
Then he said something about "a
unappreciative world" and vowed b
would let it 60 to pot!
, As to Ned, he took his friend HON,
cured, of his rare gift" and won
rarer one-Winnie!