“And why didn’t the old lady bring along Hamlet?” demanded Nat. “The Prince of Denmark would have found life in a Pullman endurable, I fancy. He was a philosophical old shark.”
“Speaking of eggs,” Ned said, ignoring his brother’s irreverent observation about the Melancholy Dane, “speaking of eggs——”
“Well! speak, I prithee!” said Tavia.
“Why, there was a chap performing tricks of legerdermain one night, and he took eggs from a high hat, as usual. In his ‘patter’ he interpolated a remark to a wide-eyed small boy who sat down front.
“‘Say, sonny, your mother can’t get eggs without hens, can she?’ he said to the kid.
“‘Yes, she can,’ replied the boy.
“‘How does she do it?’ chuckles the conjurer.
“‘She keeps ducks,’ says the kid.”
“Good! good!” quoth Nat, applauding. “If you hadn’t told it, Ned, I would.”
“Ah-ha!” cried Tavia. “You boys have been reading the same joke-book, and have gotten your wires crossed.”