The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1917-06-01
HEARD IN PASSING.



In their moments of relaxation
from the strenuous cares and vexa-
tions of business life some of the best
story-tellers in Paris are merchants
who would be the least suspected of
yielding their time to such. frivo-
lous things. Yet they do, and they
often tell good stories, gathered from
their daily business experiences in
contact with all sorts of humanity.
THE NEWS man in the course of
his wanderings along the highway
and by-ways in and around Paris,
sometimes happens in on a bunch Of
these good fellows, who are never
happier than when they are COM
pairing notes, and exchanging stories
that are neither off color nor ultra
respectable, but full of genuine fun,
right off the reel. At one of these
gatherings the other night THE
NEWS man heard these.
lon Mothers Day in Paris" said
one of the men, II met one of my
neighbors, shy young man who had
been for many months calling on a
young girl on Higgins avenue, who
was, of course, the sweetest girl in
the world but, being bashful, the
girl had encouraged him by all
the wiles known to femininity, but
nothing resulted. On Mothers Day
the fair damsel met her swain, COM
ing from the Christian Church, with
O beautiful pink carnation in the but
tonhole of his coat. She promptly
nabbed him (now this is the story as
he told IT'D and, pointing to the car
nation, said, I'll give you a kiss for
that carnation!' The young mans
color outdid the carnation, but he
summoned up enough courage to
make the exchange. Then he start
ed out on a run, as if afraid to remain
longer. Where are you going in
in such a hurry?' called the surprised
young woman. Say I'm going out to
Mr.. Christman's for another carna-
ton right away. Wait here until
y
progress for you"
Il have a young friend" said an
other Of the group, who is somewhat
of a practical joker, and many of his
friends have suffered from his ca
prices. Very happily, this young fell
low has weak points of his own. One
of them is a dislike of the night air,
especially the kind that comes float
ing in his window some times. One
morning about two o'clock there
came a tremendous humping at his
front door. The joker jumped out
of bed, opened his front window and
leaned out.
I'm Heavens name, what is the
matter?" he said. lone of. your
windows is open," called out a per-
son on the sidewalk. Which one"
said the joking fellow: THE one
you are sticking your head through"
was the answer, accompanied by
hooking laugh, as the other jokist
ambled away. My young friend
looked around the room for some
thing to fire at the head of the dis
turber, but the fellow mad gotten out
of range. And the man in the win
dow has never figured out who the
tormentor was"
''In his younger days." spoke up
another member of the party, lone
of our Irish merchants,-we know
him well-used to be a travelling
man. One time he was travelling
through a section of the country
beyond Mt. Sterling. In the seat
with him was a man whom our Irish
friend soon discovered didn't like
the Irish race very well. Presently
the train passed near q big hill on
the left side of the road. There
wasn't a sign of tree or shrubbery
of any kind on it. Our Irish friend
said to the crouch at his side: 81
wonder what makes that big hill SO
bare?" Its bare" replied the
grouchy one, because some Irish
man must have spit on it."
Just then the man who had made
the offensive remark lifted his hat
and the action revealed a head that
was perfectly bald. L suppose re-
marked the Irish friend, that some
Irishman must have spit on your
head, too" But the crouch turned
his head, replaced his hat and kept
a discreet silence until the pair sep