STRATEGY
A bird dog belonging to a man in Mulvane disappeared last week. The
owner put this "ad" in the paper and insisted that it be printed exactly
as he wrote it:
LOST OR RUN AWAY--One livver culered burd dog called Jim. Will show
signs of hyderfobby in about three days. The dog came home the following
day.
"Boy, take these flowers to Miss Bertie Bohoo, Room 12."
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"My, sir, you're the fourth gentleman wot's sent her flowers to-day."
"What's that? What the deuce? W--who sent the others?"
"Oh, they didn't send any names. They all said, 'She'll know where they
come from.'"
"Well, here, take my card, and tell her these are from the same one who
sent the other three boxes."
The little girl was having a great deal of trouble pronouncing some of
the words she met with. "Vinegar" had given her the most trouble, and
she was duly grieved to know that the village was being entertained by
her efforts in this direction.
She was sent one day to the store with the vinegar-jug, to get it
filled, and had no intention of amusing the people who were gathered in
the store. So she handed the jug to the clerk with:
"Smell the mouth of it and give me a quart."
A young couple had been courting for several years, and the young man
seemed to be in no hurry to marry. Finally, one day, he said:
"Sall, I canna marry thee."
"How's that?" asked she.
"I've changed my mind," said he.
"Well, I'll tell thee what we'll do," said she. "If folks know that it's
thee as has given me up I shanna be able to get another chap; but if
they think I've given thee up then I can get all I want. So we'll have
banns published and when the wedding day comes the parson will say to
thee, 'Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife?' and thou must
say, 'I will.' And when he says to me, 'Wilt thou have this man to be
thy wedded husband?' I shall say, 'I winna.'"
The day came, and when the minister asked the important question the man
answered:
"I will."
Then the parson said to the woman:
"Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband?" and she said:
"I will."
"Why," said the young man furiously, "you said you would say 'I winna.'"
"I know that," said the young woman, "but I've changed my mind since."
Charles Stuart, formerly senator from Michigan, was traveling by stage
through his own state. The weather was bitter cold, the snow deep, and
the roads practically unbroken. The stage was nearly an hour late at the
dinner station and everybody was cross and hungry.
In spite of the warning, "Ten minutes only for refreshments," Senator
Stuart sat down to dinner with his usual deliberation. When he had
finished his first cup of coffee the other passengers were leaving the
table. By the time his second cup arrived the stage was at the door.
"All aboard!" shouted the driver. The senator lingered and called for a
third cup of coffee.
While the household, as was the custom, assembled at the door to see the
stage oft, the senator calmly continued his meal. Suddenly, just as the
stage was starting, he pounded violently on the dining-room table. The
landlord hurried in. The senator wanted a dish of rice-pudding. When it
came he called for a spoon. There wasn't a spoon to be found.
"That shock-headed fellow took 'em!" exclaimed the landlady. "I knew him
for a thief the minute I laid eyes on him."
The landlord jumped to the same conclusion.
"Hustle after that stage!" he shouted to the sheriff, who was untying
his horse from the rail in front of the tavern. "Bring 'em all back.
They've taken the silver!"
A few minutes later the stage, in charge of the sheriff, swung around in
front of the house. The driver was in a fury.
"Search them passengers!" insisted the landlord.
But before the officer could move, the senator opened the stage door,
stepped inside, then leaned out, touched the sheriff's arm and
whispered:
"Tell the landlord he'll find his spoons in the coffee-pot."