DIPLOMACY


"Father," said the small boy, "what is an overt act?"

"My son, an overt act is something that either compels you to be so
rude as to fight or so polite as to pretend you didn't notice it."


"Now, sir," said the persuasive philanthropist, "we want you to be the
chairman of the big meeting which we are to hold."

"How much?" inquired Mr. Cassius Chex, wearily.

"I don't quite follow you."

"How much is the deficit that you expect my subscription to meet?"


Uncle Mose owns and operates an "exclusive shoe-shining parlor" in
a little Northwestern town, and, as customers are rather scarce
thereabouts, he can't afford to offend any of them. But his "parlor"
has to be run on a strict cash basis. So when a man a little too well
known to Uncle Mose as "slow pay" about town came in to have his shoes
shined and suggested to the old negro a desire to pay at a later date,
Uncle Mose did some quick thinking.