The Jasper weekly courier., 1915-07-30

throwing himself into . chair. look.
ing bored I
Now, Ned had never before wit.
messed one of the specialties OF the
gifted Joel He had heard him sing
in the choir and spout election times,
but this was 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 part 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 a screen and held his sides to
keep from yelling outright.
1t was the gestures of Joel that
were appallingly ridiculous. In the
| far east glow" and be 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 he
scowIed and struck the attitude OF
| prize fighter. His arms continually
swung about like windmills, he glided
| where he shol have fingered. he
WINGED. he grimaced, he went bounc-
ing about like jumping jack.
| "Therei" he shouted. breathlessly
triumphant at the last, what do you
think of that?"
MY friend" said lie agent, arising,
suppressing smile, your forte is pam
tomime. You are wonder as a 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?"
NO 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 foren-
sic ability"
"Ah, my chance!" chuckled Ned
Wallace jubilantly to himself. Dear
Winnie, I'm going to win her, sure"
and two days later Ned advised his
friend.
Joel, I've arranged it all. At $3.50
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, you
said. Keep it strange to yourself as
we'll. I'll guarantee most strange
and attentive audience"
And that evening the two friends
entered a large building and were
shown behind the stage. A few min
utes later Joel faced a good sized au-
dience. He was encouraged as he
noted the eager and attentive express
sion in the bright, cheerful faces be-
fore him.
He sang his fayorite song first
There was some applause, not much.
1t was when he began his Grafton about
The Gladiator" that many of the au-
dience began to writhe. They uttered
no words. They simply smiled, smiled,
smiled. Then they writhed. Two OF
them fell over in their seats.
| u Lo
came back to Ned behind the scenes
You could have heard a pin drop
They were actually hypnotized into at
tention and appreciation
| Ned nodded and smiled Then, as
they reached their hotel, he let the
! cat out of the bag.
Joel" he said. that was the only
audience | could arrange for. They
are inmates of an asylum.
What kind OF an asylum" ques
toned Joel
+, Deaf and dumb" replied Ned
i. Those who couldn't hear, were sc
amused with yCur pantomime that
O they nearly had fits. Those who could
hear, weren't much impressed with
: the big voice, So
joel flushed. Then he got mad
q Then he said something about "ar
unappreciative world" and vowed h'
K would let it go to pot
A AS to Ned, he took his friend home
cured. of his rare gift and won {
rarer one-Winnie!