RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 30

RANDOM REMINDER

MISHAPS

It is frightening, sometimes, how the innocent can suffer, how men of high reputation can be maligned by mischance. Take the classic example of two young men working in different departments of this office, both of them of sterling character, but now, through the unfairness of fate, relegated to the ranks of nearinebriates, by critics determindly, it seems, unconvinced of their innocence. One of the victims spent the Labour Day week-end on the West Coast, and at

some primitive holiday habitation hurt himself when trying to force a candle into a bottle from which some previous tenant had drawn the comfort of ale. The bottle broke, the man cut his hand, the wound became septic, and he arrived at work a couple of days later with his right arm in a sling.

The other young fellow did not have to travel for his trouble. He was on a Christchurch beach, sunning himself and not giving offence to anyone. From the sandhills behind him came a broken beer bottle.

thrown carelessly or wit) malice, and it caught hir. on a shoulder, causing s deep and painful woun-‘-and injuring one or tw of bis young, rippling muscles. He arrived at work a couple of days later with his right arm in a sling.

How, each was asked in turn, had the mishap occurred? Broken beer bottles, they answered individually. And no amount of subsequent explanation has sounded anything but lame and unconvincing. There are none so deaf, they say, as those who won't hear.