The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-04-01
Euening Story
Ha! Ha! April Fool.
By LILY MOORE.

Say. pop, we've thought of more'n
a dozen ways to April fool 'em. Can
you tell us some more?"
"Eh, what's that? No, I'm busy,
but you boys go slow now; don't do
, anything to hurt or annoy folks; re-
member. Benny" warned Mr.. Miles.
without ioking up to see what they
were up to.
Hes busy; you sign his name; he
won't care" declared his eight-year-
old son. so Harold Brown. the Cocoon
spirator, wrote the letter and signed
Mr.. John Miles. as Benny directed.
Mr.. Miles was finally aroused to
attention by snatches of conversation:
Say, Ben, whatd you do If your pop
brought you stepmother some day."
law. I'd not stand it; I'd run away.
No woman could boss me around like
Skinny Smiths stepmother does him.
I'd tell pop so, too declared Benny
you an your pop must have a
nawlul time here everything you
want"
"Y-e-s," hesitated Benny. He had
been warned that. day IL he brought
a dog into the house again his father
would have to pay damages. ~ es.
mostly, but felier can't do much but
girl-baby play in this sort of place;
dassent play victrola only when cross
old hens
"Benjamin!" exclaimed his father,
ARE you speaking of the ladies across
the hall? Have you forgotten, now
good they were when you were sick !.
I Mr.. Miles sympathized with Benny
as much as he dared and do "a fathers
judicial duty. So when the boys askea
permission to go outdoors he gran.ed
it without asking where. merely saying
that Benny must be back promptly IN
an hour. So they posted their April
fool letters.
Two that were to cause consterna-
ton in two households were to MISS
Charity Marchand, who lived at ING
edge of town in a beautiful cottage
surrounded on all sides by stone
wall covered with vines and flankea
with rows of evergreens. Fhe iroNs
gates in front were screened SO very
few children ever saw inside her m
closure.
she was destined to receive at least
two letters on the first day of April.
one signed by John Miles, asking her
to marry him. the other simply said:
| 'Ha! ha. April fool" Each was de-
tiivered according to schedule.
When the first arrived Miss Mar
chand read it over and over, then
opened a secret drawer in her desk
| and drew forth another letter signed
John Miles dated almost ten years
earlier. Only two people knew tnat
John Miles had proposedNto Charty
MarcnaTu LOT LIlt lCAtCi ieo $3.50
many years on it's way. When first
delivered at the Marchand home 1t
was thrown on an old walnut secre-
| tary and dropping behind the shdlng
top remained there till a second hand
| furniture dealer found it and sent IL
to it's owner.
All those years Charity thought her.
| self Tilted, and John. sure that he was
flouted, married another. The letter
only reached her within the week and
she made up her mind that no one
should ever know.
Now, however, she was supremacy
| happy. John was indicated. she
would write him at once, tho she did
think he might have made this pro-
posal more like his first, which was
| to his Darling Chattys' reciting his
! love- He asked her to meet him thar
evening atschurch as he would be too
late to call for her. She did not go to
church. but waited for him to call.
What a tangled web life was to be
surei
She drew her writing materials to
her, and in her sweet and modest
| way told him how the old letter had
arrived, also his second proposal. She
| he would come that evening they
would talk things over and see if they
| still cared for each other, as they once
| had. She would not risk 1t to the
mail, but called messenger and soon
| her reply was in John Miless hand.
ANY answer" he asked mechan-
| ically.
mo, sir, guess not: Miss March
and didn't say So" replied the boy.
Miss Marchand!" Mr.. Miles waved
| him away and opened the letter. He
read it over, spread the two dainty
sheets on his desk, bending over them
| as If solving a puzzle. Benny and
Harold's conversation came to mind.
Benny he called. His momentary
rage was chased away by a happy
smile-should Benny be chastised or
canonized?
what did you boys do with your
| April foolishness? Write any let
ters?"
"a few" admitted Benny search
| ing his fathers non-committal face.
80 Miss Marchand?" asked HIS
father with an effort smothering HIS
| desire to laugh like a boy, land who
eIse?"
That's all we signed your name
to 'cept the .washwoman, tellin' her
she'd lost our shirts, but I called her
on the phone and told her April fool.
Miss Marchand knows by now that it
was only April fool for she's got the
other one,' explained Benny casually.
His father gripped him by the shoul-
ders and in voice tAat made Benny
ter?"
why the one that said, Ha! hal
April feoli" whimpered Benny.
John Miles never punished in haste.
He pushed Benny out of his room and
shut the door. "Of all the imps of
Satan commend me to a boyl Poor
dear Chatty-I wonder If I can beat
the postman out there%' Selling his
hat he hurried out stumbling over the
penitent, frightened Benny. Hesitat-
ing an instant he took his hand.
Come, son, we've got to undo the mis-
chief you rascals did"
On the way out Benny was left to
his anxious thoughts. : Arrived at
their destination, he was told to sit
on bench in the yard till called, and
his father insistently rang the bell
To the maid who denied him admis-
sion, declaring that Miss Marchand
could see no one, he said, please tell
Miss Marchand it is John Miles and
shall remain till 1 see her"