The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-12-15
CORP. KERR RUNS
INTO BIG TROUBLE

the boil WeeVll, Corp. herr, Oh GIeell-
vile Street, got in bad with his wife.
It happened this way: About sew
en- years ago, when Christmas was
approaching and when the Corp. had
"a little more money than he has
made in the furniture business this
year, and when the people were still
"buying now and paying later" he
decided to give Big Sister a Christ
mas present. Not being able to find
anything for ten dollars which look
ed as good as the ten dollar gold
piece he held in his hand, he finally
decided to give her the coin itself,
which he accordingly did.
After the gift had been properly
admired and Corp. had been told
how handsome he was, how much
more hair he had on his head than
last Christmas, and how much better
setback player he was than Uncle
Jim, and how some day he might be
as rich as Uncle Jim and Johnnie
Mckee, Big Sister turned the coin
back to the Corp. with instructions
to put it in the bank and keep 1t for
her.
The Corp. dutifully carried the
coin down to the office of the En-
porium, but he thought over the mat
ter of putting such nice money in
sne bank and at length an idea
struck him. He would just keep the
coin himself and give it to Big Sis
ter for a Christmas present the next
e And so he did and again it was
sent down TO be put in the bank.
And thus the ten dollar gold coin
has served the purpose of making a
good woman happy for these seven
years, and the Corp. who all these
years has thought that if caught, he
could get the goods elsewhere, was
contemplating making another hap
by season this year with the same
gold coin.
But not so. Saturday night Big
Sister informed him that she
wouldn't want a Christmas present
this year. She had decided. to take
her seven ten dollar gold pieces she
said and buy a silver pitcher for her.
self for a Christmas present, being
as it is impossible lately for the
Corp. to look pleasant when money
matters are mentioned. This an
nouncement somewhat staggered the
Corp. He looked into the fire for a.
while but he could find no solution
of his difficulties there. Suddenly he
felt himself getting hot, so he Went
out to get some ice water, but this
did not cool him off. He sat down
but didn't sit long as he said sitting
did not rest him much. He then went
out on the front porch of the Kolone
and "swang" himself from one end
to the other. But all the time he was
thinking how he would raise that
seven pieces of gold, which wasn't,
but which Big Sister thought was.
Having come to the conclusion that
there was no way to get the money
and specify, he decided that he
would try making a joke out of the
whole thing.
Carrying out this bright idea he
went into the sitting room again
and all at once he broke into hilari-
Gus laughter. He hadn't been in as
good humor in a long time, and Big
Sister was anxious to know some
thing of the fun, but the Corp. was
so convulsed that it was a long time
before he could tell her. Finally he
said he had never intended to give
her any money. He said he handed
her the ten in gold, knowing she
would give it back to him just as
she did, and he had been giving her
the same coin every year, and just
warted to find out how long the
trick would work. He said it was a
common trick out West and up in
New York, and he was surprised
that Big Sister had not caught on
that the whole thing was a joke. In
fact he said that the ten dollars new
er had belonged to him, that he had