SHORT STORIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17651, 11 December 1920, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHORT STORIES.

RESPONSIBLE FOB > REPAIRS. An old gentleman" recently lent his grandson enough money to . purchase a brand-new football. The money was to be repaid, in instalments, the ball to remain the piroperty, of the grandfather until the last payment had" been made. One day, not very, long, afterwards, the boy found his grandfather in a .quiet corner."; "Say. grand-dad," he -whispered, " -who does the football belong to?" " It belongs to me until you have completed the payments," ■ replied granddad. " That was the agreement. But why do you ask?" '* Well, I just wanted tot make sure," remarked the boy with a; grin. "Your football—— a new cover." A NARROW ESCAPE. A well-known literary man tells of an amusing incident which once. befell him and might have turned out quite the opposite. He. went into a barber's shop one day to be shaved. As he sat in the chair he noticed that the woman attendant in the outer shop kept looking, at him

anxiously through the glass- panel of the door. He could net understand her behaviour at all until he .got outside, when a policeman' came up to him and! said, "I'm glad to find you've • come out all right,- sir." - i«> --■-'- f- -_i ;-v> .-■-■■• j "-Why?" exclaimed the journalist in surprise.' . "What's the matter'/' Is there anything vwrongSnsideP? "•:'•' - --S '' "Well, the. fact r is, sir,"*- replied! the policeman, "that barber, only came out of a lunatio asylum last ~ week, .and'his relatives are considering \ whether '.they will have -to send him back -again." ' - MODERN" COMMERCE. Two rival soft goods travellers arrived simultaneously at a country, town to land, a big order. The younger secured the only vehicle— barrow—dumped his samples in it and. started to .wheel the lot to the draper's shop. The elder was about to admit defeat when he espied >a motcrhearse outside the station yard. ".Ml give you 55," he said, to - tho": driver, "if you land me at Taffeta and Tape's before that chap with the barrow."' * ".». ' ; • if -The' driver earned the 5s and the elder traveller was leaving % Taffeta and Tape's when his rival, bathed in perspiration, arn " 0 » t* 3B yoiiigoing- in;. sonny,' said the successful one. " Tve the order in my wallet." - ■'hT'^".--'M i: -'-"'- " Yes, but how did yon get here?" P '"Did; you;- see a' motor-hearse; pass you 1" "Yes, of -course 1 did." V -z '■"•--. .'-„.■ " Well, I was in it." .;-;'■ ■ ■ :i -''Good: gracious '% ; exclaimed the defeated one.- put'idoTOtjpg barwo? -and