“Great! I know a man down town who would gladly pay five hundred dollars to hear you speak. Thus far he has not been able to hear you.” Brown absorbs the compliment with the air of a man well accustomed to such little tributes. But I know how his mind is working, and, sure enough, soon he rises to the bait. “By the way, what did you say about that man who is anxious to hear me speak?” “I said that there is a very intelligent man down town who says he would give five hundred dollars to hear you speak. Thus far he has been denied that privilege, but I think he means what he says.” “That’s good! No doubt some one who has heard me has told him about it. I expect to speak at a banquet next week. Perhaps we could have this man invited. I should be glad to give him pleasure.” “It certainly would give him great pleasure. I am sure he would travel far to get within sound of your voice.” “By the way, I do not recall that you mentioned the name of this gentleman.” “_He is a deaf man. He has not heard a sound for years! I know he would give five hundred dollars to be able to hear you._” And then Brown refuses to speak to me for a month. He has no use for these “funny men.” His vanity finally gets the best of him, however, and a little later he “falls” for the same story with variations. You can tell him of the man who would willingly give a thousand dollars to see the great orator. Of course, he is blind. Then there is the enthusiastic citizen who would gladly run a mile in order to join the audience. He is a cripple with only one leg. Of course, these are worn, old jokes, but the deaf man may be pardoned for indulging in the old-timers if they help to offset some of his own blunders and mishaps.