FADING INK NO LONGER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 73, 15 April 1901, Page 4

FADING INK NO LONGER.

A young lady, who maves in the bMt waety, entered a West-Ead photographer'* itudio not lsag ag», and taking three letters oat of iblfe sealskin bag she larried, requested ■Ktt photograph tharo tor her. The lettM were the moat tender and wdent loving missives imaginable. They •ere addressed to the young lady herself The photographer's cariosity got the better »f his judgment, and he finally said : " You'll pardon me, but this job is a littfe ■■usual, isn't it?" " Is it ?" she said, smiling. "It strikes me so," he replied. " I don't He why you want photographs of those letters since you have the letters themselves " " Don't you ? Well, I do. Suppose the •tiers were to be lost or burned, or deswoyed in some other way?" " Wouldn't the photographs be destroyed yet as easily as the letters ?" "Perhaps not, especially if they were no! tept in the same place with the letters. But I'm not afraid of losing them by fire or in any such way as that. The fact is the Ink is fading, and in a short time it will be illegible." Therejis a girl for you who won't miss any thances in the breach of promise business.

HE BET WITH HIMSELF. A stoky k told of a queer gambler or the "nutilHy who was in the habit of making A-agsH» with himself, and was correspond* :ngly cheerful or downcast and gloomy, wie jr lose. In sporting parlance, he was constantly " at horse and horse" with himself, tnd he found in that double-headed coalition the highest delights of anticipation. Although he lacked the. determination to actually brt, still he haunted the pool and card-rooms with his hands in his pockets, jingling his silver coin and transferring hit money from one pocket to the other, according to whether his right or left side won. He kept a regular account mentally with bis right and left hands, and thus realised alt the excitement of hatting without being subjected to the liabgtf' of dropping his wealth, but at the same lime he was constantly on :he verge of actually participating in the jame. but nerar could muster up aaurage to deposit the money on the table. His great scheme was to select a aamber In a lottery, which he wajild carry in his head: and he awaited the report of the drawings with feverish aaxiety, which for several days premoas 4a the event almost prostrated him, m aervaae and worked up would be become. One tune he actaally waa the first prize in this way. The gala of so mnah wealth, in bis mind, proved to be a shook he could not withstand, aa4 superinduced an attack ol Drain fever, to w*»h ha socaanbed.