Part 23

BOY--“The moon.”

V.C.--“But if you were told that it was the sun, what would you say it was?”

BOY--“A lie.”

V.C.--“I don’t tell lies. Suppose I were to tell you it was the sun, what would you say then?”

BOY--“That you was drunk.”

121. A man travels 60 miles in 3 hours by rail and coach; if he had gone all the way by rail he would have ended his journey an hour sooner and saved two-fifths of the time he was on the coach. How far did he go by coach?

WANTED Canvasser, energetic; only “live” men need apply. Smart & Co.

A determined-looking young man rushed into Mr. Sharp’s office the other day, and, addressing him, said abruptly, “See you’re advertising for a canvasser, sir; I’ve come to fill the place.”

“Gently, young man!--gently! How do you know that you’ll suit?” asked Mr. Sharp, somewhat nettled at the young man’s off-hand manner.

“Certain of it. Best man you could have--energetic, punctual, honest, sober, A1 references, and----”

“Wait a minute, I tell you!” shouted Mr. Sharp. “I don’t think you’d suit me at all.”

“Oh, yes, I shall,” said the young man, seating himself. “And I don’t go out of this office till you engage me.”

“You won’t?” yelled Mr. S.

“Certainly not,” said the young man, calmly.

“Why, you impudent young scoundrel! I’ll--I’ll kick you out!”

“No, you wont. You may kick me, but you won’t kick me out.”

“If you don’t go, I’ll call a policeman,” declared Mr. S., purple with rage.

“Will you?”

The young man rushed to the door, locked it, and put the key in his pocket.

Mr. S. gasped and glared, and then roared:--

“I tell you I won’t have you! Get out of my office. Will you take ‘no’ for an answer?”

“No, I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Never did in my life, and don’t intend starting now,” said the young man, very determinedly.

Mr. Sharp hesitated, then rose to his feet, with admiration beaming from his eyes.

“Young man,” he said, “I’ve been looking for an agent like you for twenty years. At first I thought you were only a bumptious fool; but now I see you’re literally bursting with business. If any man can sell my patent vermin-trap (warranted to catch anything from a flea to a tiger) you’re that man. A hundred a year and 15 per cent. commission. Is it a bargain?”

“It is,” said the young man, trying the trap, and smiling approvingly when it nipped a piece of flesh clean out of his finger.

WHY IS IT?

Take a long narrow strip of paper, and draw a line with pen or pencil along the whole length of its centre. Turn one of the ends round so as to give it a twist, and then gum the ends together. Now take a pair of scissors and cut the circle of paper round along the line, and you will have two circles. This is a puzzle within a puzzle, and has never been satisfactorily explained either by scientist or mathematician.

How to Read a Person’s Character.