The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-05-06
Ind. sri ,sINsAg!
TOnny'S Pretty 4
Manicure

I
called Nile. Louise And all the
/ 5oaag en- and young women who
used TO 90 there to set their hands
done were glad If Mile. Louise attend
ed them, bee ause she was deft and
ger tie. and a pleasing person to look
at.
Among the young men who used
to have Mile. Louise do their hands
we're Tommy Busted and William
Barton. These twain we're old friends,
and used to joke each other about the
pretty manicure-girl. Tommy was
married and William was not, SO
/ Tommy always said he was pretty
safe from any designs she might
nave; but he urged William to mind
his eye and to lay low, with such
other friendly counsel as occurred to
him Meantime, Mile. Louise was as
business-like as a lanp-post, and paid
as little heed to her clients, except as
regarded their hands.
One day, while William the Bache-
Tor was getting himself manicured, he
was gmitten with sudden idea. He
would play g joke upon his friend,
Tommy the Husband He would write
a letter to him and sign Nile. Louise's
name to 1t, and the letter should say
that unless Tommy sent her one hun
dred dollars straightway, she would
tell Tommy's wife how he had tried
to kiss her, the aforesaid Mile. Louise,
when last she performed the tender
office Of pairing his nails. OF course,
Tommy had no more thought at any
time in his life of trying to kiss the
pretty manicure-girl than he had
thought of writing to Miss Pray to
elope with him; but therein lay the
joke, as William considered it.
So William went home and wrote
the note to Tommy in his best temi-
nine angular hand, which he learned
by diligent study of some of his own
CORES ondents' handwriting. And he
laid Mile Louise's damages at five
hundred dollars instead of one hun
bred dollars. on second thought, and
signed her name to it and sent it off,
and grinned very much all the while.
The next morning, while Tommy
and his wife were at the breakfast
table, the letter was given to him.
He read it with surprise, which turn
ed to amused digust, and tossed it
over to his wife, saying: What do
you think of that for modest re-
quest?" And then, the more he
thought about it, he became somewhat
disquieted at the idea that this young
woman was such shark, and pro-
ceeded to hurry down to warn his
friend William against her.
He found William still at home, and
said to him: 81 say, you want to
look out for this manicuregirl, Mile.
Louise. She's a blaokmailer-se
down to me for five hundred dollars,
and said if l didn't give it to her, she
would tell my wife l insulted her.
Great idea, isn't IL? And we always
thought she was such a nice little
girl. But I'll tell you what-Im go
ing to have her up for blackmail-I
won't stand it."
ooh, l wouldn't do that" said Will
liam, suddenly up straight and look
ing little scared; "she doesn't mean
it, / guess. Maybe it's joke, or.
anyhow, l think shell be able to ex-
plain it.
Explain it," said Tommy, in great
wrath, explain her blooming toe
nails WE'LL don't know-Ill see
what | decide; and off he went, leay-
ing William partially paralyzed with
dismay at the thought Of what his
brilliant joke might possibly come to.
Off went Tommy, and becoming
more exasperated the more he thought
it over, he clambered into cab and
went straight up to Miss Pray's and
asked to see Mile. Louise. Somewhat
amazed by so strenuous call, that
young person appeared, and was ut
terly dumbfounded when Tommy
charged her with writing him the
5lackmailing letter. First, she pro-
tested; then she wept; then, being
French and excitable, she swore flu
emily.
They would have had the whole
not Mile. Louise suddenly bethought
herself OF her interest IN Keeping her
place, and proceeded to show Tommy,
by writing totally different hand,
and incidentally spelling blackmail
"blackmale," that in all human prob
ability he had had practical joke
played upon him. When this dawned
upon Tommy, he was sure that no
body but William had conceived such
a scheme. So he soothed Mile. Louise
with apologies and shekels, and de-
parted hungry for his revenge.
That afternoon he was driving in
the park. when he saw William stroll
ing with big chrysanthemum In his
lapel, looking sweet and innocent as
a new baby-wagon Tommy brought
his. big horse up with a short turn
alongside the foot-path, and. leaning
down. said:
"Oh. / got detective and just nab
he'd orr fair yOllno matchmaker"