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Show Reduced Price for a Kiss. A story from Vienna cabled over to this country goes far to prove that tho Austrian capital has learned judges who are as expedient as a tadi of Bagdad in solving the different problems that come up before them. It was a young student named Bierogger who, returning return-ing home at 6 in the morning, after a night of it, felt "all the poetry of his nature called into play by the enchanting enchant-ing apparition of a blooming maiden of 19 summers walking toward' him in the street." Unable to resist the temptation temp-tation he snatched a kiss and found himself in the arms of a policeman, and next morning, demure' and sober, he was brought before the judge. The court was in a genial mood, and, doubtless doubt-less having once been a student himself, him-self, he played the part of counsel for defendant and addressed the young lady conciliaiingly thus: Judge The defendant was jovial and excited, and he now admits he was at fault. Won't you forgive him for having hav-ing kissed you? Plaintiff I'm not vindictive, but I want 10 guldens damages ($5). Judge Ten guldens for a kiss? Plaintiff Yes. I must now leave my lodgings on account of the scandal, and 10 guldens is not too much. Judge But the defendant is only a student, and therefore, not a man of means. The sum you demand would be a great loss to a man in his position. posi-tion. Here the unfortunate student, who was the picture of misery, put in a word for himself: "Do think it over, miss. You must i feel that if I bad been in my sober senses nothing in the world would have ever induced me to kiss you. No, not if Hived for a hundred years!" Plaintiff Why. this is a fresh insult, almost as bad as the first. Defendant (disconcerted) Ob, I didn't mean that; indeed, I would k I mean I wouldn't, that is, I I haven't the'audacity to kiss any young lady. Otherwise, 1 would willingly thai is, in fact plaintiff Oh, of cource, that is different. dif-ferent. Well, I'll take 5 guldens. The judge seemed to think 5 guldens too high a price to pay for a kiss; but the money was at once paid down, the case dismissed, and plaintiff and defendant de-fendant smilingly approached each other and left the court chatting gayly together. |