The Gambling House—Jonathan is taken in with Cards.

Dear Par:

I've tried to write tu you agin and agin since my t'other letter, but I felt so dreadful bad, there was no makin it out, all I could du. I've been dreadful sick, and about the darndest melancholy critter that ever sot up an eend in bed.

I own it eenamost kills me to begin, but the truth will out some time or other; and a feller that aint ashamed to du wrong, must be a snakin shote if he can't pick up courage tu own up tu the truth, like a man. It's a tough job, though, to own that you've been made a darn'd coot, and a leetle wus than that—but all I've got to du is to grin and bear it. I was a tellin you that Miss Sneers gin me an invite to supper. I slicked up and went, nigh about dark, a feelin sort a streaked, I couldn't tell why, and a thinkin of Judy White all the way; that pesky harnsome critter had riled up my feelins so desperately that I raly hadn't known which eend my head was on—but, somehow, as I went along, Judy seemed close by me, with her hand on my arm, kinder holdin me back; and once I was eenamost tempted tu turn back, and never think o' this York gal agin on arth. I swow, I raly believe the tears stood in my eyes when I went up the steps—for I couldn't keep from thinkin of hum all I could du, and it seemed jest as if you and marm were a holdin family prayers, and all for my sake, jest then. I do believe, Par, that the spirits of live folks that love you are as likely agin to haunt a feller when he's in danger as them of dead people. Wal, I rung the door-bell kinder loth, for I hadn't felt very chipper all day, and, somehow, thinkin of hum and sich things gin me a kind of timersome feelin. The buff nigger was on hand in no time. He swung open the door, and stood a bowin and a shakin that etarnal swad of hair till I got clear into the entry-way. I was a goin right up stairs, but the nigger he opened a side door, and says he, "walk in."

"Jest so," sez I, and I went through the door inter a room that was sot off tu kill with all sorts o' notions and foreign fixins. The winders were shut up close, and kivered from top tu bottom with a hull Niagara of red silk. The benches and settees and chairs shone and glistened all around, and overhead was one of them concerns of fire and chink glass, a blazin and flashing round us till it seemed as if the ruff overhead was made of solid gold. The wall were kivered all over with picters—them golden frames was all cirlicued off, and shone out dreadful harnsome, I can tell you. Right under that heap of swinging glass, and jest where the fire felt strongest, there was a table about as large round as marm's cheese tub, and kivered over with a red cloth, all figured off that fell clear to the carpet, and looked sort o' rich, like a pile of winter apples heaped afore a cider mill.

Two or three chaps sot afore the table, larfin and a talkin together, while they kinder tilted back the chairs they sot in, and seemed to make themselves tu hum all over.

I looked around for Miss Sneers, but she wasn't there yit, and the chaps by the table didn't seem tu know that I was standin there, and a lettin off my prime bows all for nothin. But jest as I was a goin to back out, a feller that lay on one of these new-fangled settees that have an arm chair at each eend, and a bench in the middle all cushioned off with red silk, he kinder riz up, and I see it was the chap that waited on Miss Sneers at the theatre the first time I ever saw her. He cum for'ard on seein me, and a lookin eenamost tickled tu death tu think I'd cum. He told the chaps by the table who I was, and they got up tu, and was in a mighty takin about my bein there. I sot down on a chair, and histed one leg top of t'other, and begun tu teeter my right foot sort of independent, and looked about for Miss Sneers. She wasn't there jest then, and I begun to feel rather awkward. But the man that I'd seen with her at the theatre, he sot down close by me, and begin to talk as chipper as if he'd known me a hundred years. I hadn't had a good chance tu look at the feller before in arnest, but now as he sot agin me, I gin him considerable observation. He was a tall, harnsome chap, with hair as thick and black as midnight. His eyes were black tu, and as sharp as darningneedles, but you never could ketch them a lookin at you more'n a minute at a time—they al'ers shied when a feller looked right straight into them. His voice was as soft as a mealy potater, and he kinder slid up to you across the room like a gray cat, and seemed tu be jest about as innocent. He begun tu talk about farming, and the price of produce in York, jest as cozey as git out, and seemed tu be right tu hum on any subject that cum up. The other chaps they jined in' and laid on a considerable soft sodder about my letters in the Express—but they did it slick, I can tell you, smoothed it down nice and ily, till you couldn't jest tell exactly whether it was soft sodder or not.

Arter a few minutes, Miss Sneers she cum in—I felt my heart jump intu my mouth, and the blood bile up over my face, like hot flip when the iron is put in. It seemed tu me, as if she never did look so harnsome afore—her frock was all blue shiny velvet, as bright as a damson plum—that ere round neck so pesky white, hadn't no kiverin on, but a leetle finefied gold chain, and another gold chain was tangled up with the great swad of hair that was twistified up on the nap of her neck. She kinder slid intu the room sort of easy, jest like a trout sailin along the bottom of a brook—her cheeks looked as fresh as a full blown rosy, and her mouth, the darned provokin thing, looked jest like a bunch of ripe strawberries, ready tu drop from the stems.

She kinder bowed tu the chaps that sot by the table, and then cum right up tu where I stood with both her hands out tu once, as if she was tickled all over tu see me agin.

Both them little white hands wasn't more than one handful for me, and I wasn't in no very great hurry tu let go, when I once got a good grip at 'em—she didn't seem tu mind my havin 'em, but sot down right between me and her brother, and there she sot a smilin right intu my eyes and a askin so arnest arter my helth that I couldn't but jest speak, my heart riz so. The critter really seemed tu have took a notion tu you, and marm. She was dreadful arnest tu know if I'd hearn from you, and how you stood the cold weather, and then consarn me! if she didn't ask how Captin Doolittle did, jest as if the old coot had a ben her own Par. By-am-by she bent over, and kinder whispered tu me, and sez she—

"I must go and speak tu the gentlemen there—you make me forget everything but yourself."

With that she gin my fingers a leetle grip and went up tu the table.

"You seem dull," sez she, "supposin you take a game at cards till supper is ready."

"If Mr. Slick hain't no objection" sez her brother, a lookin at me kinder anxious. "His father's a deacon you know."

They all turned on their chairs, and looked at me, as if a man that didn't like cards must a have been brought up in the woods. It made me feel kinder streaked—so sez I, "oh never seem tu mind me, I aint a skeered at a pack of cards, if my Par is."

"Du you ever play," sez Miss Sneers, a smilin on me like a June sun.

"Wal," sez I, speakin up crank, "I haint done much at it, since I was a little shaver, and used tu play high-low-jack and the game, with one of our workmen in Par's barn tu hum, but I was a considerable of a sneezer at it in them days, I recon."

Miss Sneers's brother, sez he, "Wal then, supposin you take a hand here."

I felt kinder bad at the idea of touching cards arter promisin you not tu, Par, when you ketched me at it and gin me that allfired lickin in the barn—but Miss Sneers stood right afore me, shuffling a bran new pack o' cards in them little white hands and a lookin at me so cunnin that I couldn't stand it—yet I felt sort o' loth and held back.

"I'm afeared I've eenajest forgot how," sez I; a loungin back.

"Oh never mind," sez one of the chaps in a red and green vest, and with checkered trousers on, "Miss Sneers will show you how."

"Certainly," says the harnsome critter—a smilin right in my face again; "Shall I be your teacher, Mr. Slick?"

"Jest so," sez I—"I'd jump down my own throat, if you on'y told me tu."

With that I sot down by the table—crossed one leg a top of t'other and wiped my nose. Miss Sneers, she leaned her arm on my chair and the rest sot down.

"Wal, what shall we play?" sez the chap in checkered trousers.

"Oh, high-low-jack and the game—Mr. Slick understands that"—sez the rest, sort a larfin. I begun to rile a trifle—"I guess Mr. Slick knows a thing or two besides that," sez I; "he wasn't born in the woods tu be skared at owls!" sez I.

They all choked in at that—one feller shuffled the cards, I cut, and the checkered trousers took the deal. I got an allfired good hand the first dive—ace, jack and the two spot of trumps, besides a ten. Miss Sneers she bent over until I could feel her breath agin my cheek, as warm and sweat as the steam from an apple-sarse cag when the sarse is sot off to cool. I swow, it made me feel so kinder unsettled, that the cards danced afore my eyes, like picters run crazy. We begun to play. Miss Sneers kept a pokin that pesky little finger of hern amongst my cards every minute, puttin out them that I ought to play, one by one—and afore I knew it myself, I'd beat the hull biling on 'em three games without stoppin. Miss Sneers she seemed to be eenamost tickled to death to think I'd done 'em up so slick, and the men they looked streaked enough. I tell you—that one in the checkered trousers above all. Jest as we was cuttin in for a new deal, the doors right afore me slid back inter the wall, and there was another room spread out afore us like a picter. It was as light as day from one eend of the room tu t'other—and it was enough to dazzle one's eyes to see the shiney silk tumblin down from the golden poles over the winders—the great whoppin lookin glasses a blazin all over that eend of the room—the carpet kivered over and trod down with posies—the picters agin the walls and leetle marble babies a standing round, with the candle light a pourin down over 'em. Oh, Gosh! it was enough to make a feller loose his breath, and never ketch it agin. There, right in the midst of the room, was a table a shinin and a glistenin, like a heap of ice-chunks and new half dollars piled up together in the hot sun. The plates and the knives and forks spoons and all, was solid silver—everything else was silver but the glasses, and they were all pinted and pictered off, and cut down in lines, till there was nothing but flash, flash, flash, wherever the light fell, and that was strong enough; for right overhead was another of them great gold spangles branching out every which way, and runnin over with fire.

Miss Sneers she put her hand on my arm, jest so as tu let the tip eend of her leetle finger lie agin my wrist. I swore it made the blood tingle up my arm. We went intu the room with the rest a follerin arter, Indian file. A great strappin nigger stood at each side of the door-place, when we went, with white gloves on, and towels in their hands—they bowed a'most tu the carpet as we went by, and when we sot down, then they stood right up on eend behind our chairs, like militia trainers jist tryin tu drill. They lifted up the kivers from a lot of dishes, and up riz the steam among the glasses and silver, till it seemed as if they hung in a cloud. Oh gracious, I can't begin to tell you all that them dishes had in 'em. There was leetle teinty tonty birds cooked hull, claws and all—partridges with their stomachs stuffed till they looked as pussey as cousin Jasin—squirrels a lyin there like human babies jest baked over a trifle, and all sorts of wild varmints that a feller ever thought of killin.

The niggers they dodged about, fillin plates and a handin 'em round like lightnin. They gin Miss Sneers and I each on us a leetle bird—darn me if I know what it was, without it was a woodpecker stewed hull. It raly seemed tu be a shame tu stick a fork intu the teinty varmint. I kinder diddled my knife and fork about, till Miss Sneers got purty intimate with her bird, for I wanted tu see if it was the fashion tu swaller 'em down in'ards and all. She'd used her little chap purty well up, when I sot my jaws a workin in arnest. The bird went down my throat the quickest. It was awful sweet tastin; and the leg bones scratched a trifle as they went down, but nothin tu speak on.

Wal, we laid into the squirrels and other wild critters rather hard, till I begun tu feel a dry. There was a leetle bottle of water stood agin each plate. I poured some out of mine, and was a goin tu drink, but Miss Sneers, she laid her hand on the glass, and sez she—

"Mr. Slick, let me help you tu wine?"

"Not as you know on," sez I, a bowin, and a takin the tumbler from under her hand—"I'm a teetotaler, marm, tu the back bone!"

"Oh, I'd forgot," sez she, a lookin at her brother. He took up a bottle with leetle chunks of sheet lead a stickin tu the neck, and sez he—

"You will not refuse a glass of this cider, Mr. Slick—there's no alcohol in this, I can tell you."

I was jest a goin tu say no, but Miss Sneers, she held out her glass, and all the time that cider was a gurglin out of the bottle and a sendin up sparkles in her glass, she kept them smilin eyes a pourin their brightness right intu mine. When the glass was full, she touched it tu her mouth, and gin a leetle sip, jest enough tu make them pesky lips look a trifle damp, and redder than ever, and sez she, a reachin the glass towards me—

"You must drink this, Mr. Slick."

I felt the blood bile intur my face agin. I kinder part reached out my hand—then I pulled it back, and sez I—

"I've signed the pledge."

"Not agin this harmless cider," sez they altogether.

"Not when a lady kisses the glass," says Miss Sneers—a holdin out the tumbler yit, and a lookin kinder anxious, as if she'd cry right out if I didn't give up.

"Take it for my sake," sez she, a bendin close tu me, and a holdin the glass right up tu my lips. They were all a lookin at me, and kinder larfin, as if they thought I darsent take it.

"You see Mr. Slick will not give up the point, even tu you Miss Sneers," sez the man with checkered trousers. "Allow me to drain the glass your sweet lips have kissed."

"You be darned," sez I, a takin the cider and drinkin it down a'most at three swallers.

"Bravo!" they all sung out tu once. "Here's to the ladies!" Miss Sneers, she held out my glass agin. Her brother lifted the bottle, and this time the cider splashed over that leetle white hand, and come drippin over the table all the way tu my mouth. I felt streaked about makin any more touse about a leetle cider, and poured the glass down without squinchin. By the time I found the bottom of that glass, I didn't feel askeared of the next one the leastest might in the world. But, somehow, the more I drank, the plates seemed to grow brighter and more unsteady. The birds that lay yet in one of the silver dishes seemed to grow smaller, but more on em, like young robins in a nest, when they jest begin tu feather out. The wine decanters blazed out redder and redder, and the cider-bottles popped and foamed like ginger-beer in the summer time. The folks, tu, sot orful oneasy, and somehow, the feller that sot agin me looked jest as if he'd found a twin with checkered trousers, and a red-and-green vest, as much like his'n as two peas in a pod.

I kinder seemed tu remember that Miss Sneers kept a kissin the glasses for me, till by-am-by I sot out to do it myself, and kissed her instead. With that, she went intu tother room. We followed arter, and the two niggers arter us with the cider and wine decanters in their hands.

"Now," sez Miss Sneers' brother sez he, "less have another game; I'll bet Mr. Slick wont beat three times runnin agin."

"I'll bet he will," sez Miss Sneers, a pintin tu a seat by the table, and a lookin good enough tu eat.

I sot down, and the chap in checkered trousers he begun to shuffle away, like a house a fire.

Miss Sneers she bent over me agin, and her brother he sot down and cut cards. I beat agin, right straight ahead; the hull swad on em begun to grow kinder wamblecropped at that, and Miss Sneers she larfed so good-natured, and bent forward so much that her cheek a'most lay agin mine all the next game.

By gauly, I beat agin; and by that time, they all begun tu look a trifle rily. The checkered trousers he took the cards and gin em a snap along the eends that might a ben heard in the street. With that, he slapped em down on the table, and sez he, a nodden his head at me, sez he, "I'll bet fifty dollars you don't beat this time." With that, he larfed till the hair on his upper lip curled up and showed his teeth, like a dog when he snarls.

"Nonsense," sez Miss Sneers, "we can beat twenty such felers—you and I, Mr. Slick, can't we?"

"I ruther thinks so," sez I.

"I'll bet fifty dollars," sez checkered trousers, "that we beat you all hollow."

"I'll bet you don't," sez I, a rilin up.

"Plank the money," sez he, a slappin the cards agin, "plank the chink."

I took your old wallet from the leetle pocket in my under vest, and unrolled the bills that I'd put there arter sellin out the sloop load—"I spose you think I haint got it," sez I, a shakin the harnful of bills that was left. "Hurra for old Connecticut!" The other chaps they shell'd out, and a hull heap of bills lay on the table. Miss Sneers she went away a minute, and then bent over me agin, with another glass of that white cider in her hand—she held the glass to my lips, and wouldn't take it away till I'd drunk the hull.

That was prime cider, and I was a beginnin to feel dry agin, so I drunk another glass; and at it we went, shovel and tongs. As true as you live, they raly did beat that game; and when they saw how wrothy I was, they offered tu bet a hundred dollars on my luck the next time. I don't know who beat arter that; for somehow I seemed tu be sort o' dreamin; the candles seemed tu be a darncin round us, and it seemed as if the cards were leetle teenty folks, all alive and a grinnin at us as we handled em. I took out the old wallet every few minutes—I du seem to remember that—and arter it was empty, Miss Sneer's brother, sez he, "Never mind, my boy, we'll take your autograph."

"I don't keep any such new-fangled varmints," sez I.

"Oh, on'y jest write your name here," sez he, a handin over a strip of paper.

"Jest so," sez I, a takin the pen he held out; "jest so, but good gauly, du hold the paper still. I can't ketch up with it if it moves about the table this way."

"It's your hand," sez he.

"My hand!" sez I—"you git out!"

I gin a dive at the paper and held it kinder still, while I did up a long tailed J. I had tu begin agin at the S, but arter a dive or tu, I curlecued it up about right, and then we went tu playin cards agin. They seemed tu take a great shine tu my name that night, and kept a askin me for it every few minutes, till I went away. I don't jest know when Miss Sneers went away, or exactly how I got away myself; but the next morning I woke up in my bunk with the darndest head ache that I ever dreamed on. Captin Doolittle he sot in the cabin a lookin at me, and a cryin like a great baby.

"What's the matter, Captin?" sez I, a turnin over.

"Jonathan," sez he, a risin from the locker, and diggin both hands in his old trousers pocket, "Jonathan, its time for us tu haul up stakes and go hum."

The tears run down the old chap's face, as he said this, and he turned his face away that I shouldn't see them.

I tried tu think of what had turned up tu make the captin take on so. My head beat like a drum—I partly remembered the cider, the cards and Miss Sneers. I looked at Captin Doolittle; he had the poor old empty wallet in his hands, and I could see the tears drop into it.

I lay down agin, kivered my face with the piller, and burst out a cryin.

I guess I lay still a cryin like a baby as much as ten minutes and there sot Captin Doolittle a holdin the empty wallet all the time. At last I sot up an eend and looked at the captin as well as I dare, and sez I,

"Captin what shall I du?"

The Captin he looked up, and sez he,

"Jonathan you'd better fust tell me jest what you have done a'ready." I sot to as well as I could and told him the hull story about Miss Sneers, the theatre, playing cards, the bird supper, and the cider. When I'd got through he shook his head sort of mournful, and sez he—

"Jonathan, this is a bad business; you've made a shote of yourself and gambled all your father's money away; it's eenamost as bad as stealen."

"Oh don't say that are," sez I, a kiverin my face with both hands. "I feel bad enough without bein twitted of what I've done, gracious knows?"

"Wal, I know it aint generous tu strike a feller when he's down," sez the captin, "but what is to be done? That's the question."

"Wal," sez the Captin, "supposin you put on your things and we'll go up to that consarned gamblin hole and see if any thing can be done to git the money back. I hain't no doubt but that Miss Sneers will be tickled tu death tu see you agin."

I got up and dressed myself as well as I could for my head ached as if it would crack open. The Captin he was as good as any thing; he poured a hull pitcher full of cold water over my hair, and arter making me drink a strong cup of tea, I felt kinder better about the head, but oh Lord a massy, how my heart ached!

I felt so down in the mouth that I couldn't talk, so we both started off towards that consarned house agin.

"Now Jonathan," sez the Captin, as we got agin the steps, "it goes agin the grain tu say so, but you jest make believe that I am a police officer, and keep a stiff upper lip, ring the bell and walk right in; I'll come arter and we'll du their bisness for em in less than no time."

I rung the bell.

"Is Miss Sneers tu hum?" sez I.

"No," sez he, as quick as lightning, "she went into the country this morning."

I was a going tu say that I'd seen her, when Captin Doolittle pushed right by and giving the nigger a shove on one side, sez he,

"Walk in, Jonathan, walk in and make yourself tu hum." With that he dove into the hall and I arter him—he opened the side door into the room we were in the night before, and gin a peak round.

"Nobody there," sez he, "go up stairs, I'll settle the nigger if he gets obstropulous, and then follow arter."

I went right up stairs, and was jest a knocking at the door of Miss Sneers' room, when I see that it was open a trifle; and as I gin a peak through, there was the chap that she called her brother shying out through the eend door—I jest gin a knock that sent the door a flyin open, and went in. Miss Sneers was settin on that silken bench, dressed out in a ruffled white frock, and with her hair twisted back in a hurry, and kinder tousled up with a gold chain in it, as if she hadn't touched it since the night afore. She jumped half up when she see me, and then settled down agin with her lips shet tight together, and a lookin hard in my eyes as if uncertain who it was.

I walked right up to her and held out my hand, "How do you du this morning, Miss Sneers," sez I.

She kinder leaned back, and lookin right straight in my eyes, sez she,

"You must have mistook the room, sir, I do not usually receive company here."

I swow, it seemed as if the critter had swallered a chunk of ice, she spoke so stiff and cold. I looked around the room a minit, and then I turned tu her agin, and sez I,

"Look a here marm, you don't seem tu be over tickled tu see me this morning, so I'll make myself scarce the minit you'll give me a chance tu see that brother of yourn."

"You are laborin under another mistake," sez she, as frosty as ever. "My brother is not in the house."

"Perhaps you'll tell me by-am-by that I mustn't believe my own eyes," sez I a getting wrothy. "Jest ask that mean shote to come out of the other room there—I saw him sneak off with my own eyes not three minutes ago."

She turned a trifle red when I talked up to her so, and arter chokin a second, sez she, as cool as a cowcumber, sez she,

"Not my brother, you did not see my brother, he is my husband, sir."

I felt the blood bile in my veins and my face seemed afire. "Your husband marm?" sez I, a getting up a laugh that eended off in a savage grin, "and so you're, you're,"—

"His wife sir," sez she, with a cold tarntalisin smile, "and now, as I am particularly engaged, perhaps you will leave the house."

"Not jest yet," sez Captin Doolittle, a bolting intu the room. "We've got some business with that husband of your'n, marm."

"And who are you sir?" sez the woman a turnin white as curd and sittin down half scared tu death.

"I don't know as that is any consarn of your'n," sez he, a hauling a piece of paper folded up square from his pocket. "I want that swindlin scamp that you call husband, and its my opinion that he and I get better acquainted afore I leave these ere premises."

I never see a poor critter wilt down as she did, her face was as white as snow, so was her mouth, and I could see it begin tu tremble all she could du to help it.

"Surely, surely, you havn't brought a police officer here?" sez she, a lookin at me, and them soft eyes of her'n were a swimmin in tears. I begun to relent.

"Jonathan, don't make a coot of yourself," sez the Captin, a givin me a sly poke in the ribs; then he went right up tu her, and sez he,

"I don't wonder you're surprised marm, it aint often that you get a decent chap like me in this nest of varmints, but when one on us du come we generally make purty clean work of it, I can tell you that! Perhaps your husband won't be the only one that will get hauled over the coals. I've seen purtyer women than you are afore the police magistrates afore now."

The critter began tu tremble and looked at me as pitiful as a rabbit in a trap.

"It ain't of no use," sez Captin Doolittle a pushin me back, "salt won't save you if that scamp of your'n don't shell out. Mr. Slick here haint nothin to du with the bisness now that he's gin it up tu the law. You haint got sich a mealy hearted chap as him to deal with, I can tell you."

"But what du you want?" sez she, a shakin as if she was a cold.

"I want the money you swindled out of this young feller las night," sez he. "The money and the notes you made him give and by the living hokey if it aint handed over in less than ten minutes, I'll have every darned varmint in the house marched off tu the tombs."

The poor critter grew wuss and wuss; after a minute she turned to me and sez she, a sobbin like all natur,

"So you've indicted the house, have you?"

I didn't just know what she meant, and the Captin seemed as bad off, but he gin me a poke to keep still, and sez he, "You'll find out I reckon, but as that are husband of yourn seems loth tu come out I'll jest give him a little invite." With that he went into t'other room and arter a little noise of scuffling cum out agin a leadin the woman's brother or husband by the ear. He had taken an orful hard grip, and the critter's souse looked as red as if it had just been scalded.

"Are you a goin to shell out or not?" sez the Captin. The feller gin a pull, and the Captin follered suit, which stretched his ear rather more than he seemed to relish.

"Come, we're in something of a hurry," sez the Captin, "we'd jist as leave have you as the money."

The feller gin his head a jerk, but the Captin's fingers made a fust rate vice, and the old feller put on the screws tight enough.

"Jake, Jake!" the feller yelled out.

"If your nigger's name is Jake I'm afeared he won't hear," sez the Captin a puttin a chaw of tobaccer intur his mouth with one hand, while he gin the ear an extra pinch with the other. "I locked him up in a pantry down stairs, plenty of wine bottles there, he's comfortable enough, don't disturb the poor nigger now, don't."

The feller gin the Captin's side a dig with his fist; with that the Captin jest gin him a jerk towards the door, and sez he, a turning tu me as cool as get out, sez he, "call the rest on em up Mr. Slick, I can du this feller's business; but the lady there may want two beaus agin—call 'em up."

I really felt sorry for the poor woman, she jumped up and flung her arms around the chap, and sez she,

"Du give it up, du, I cannot bear this, they will do it, you see they will."

"Tell him to let go my ear," sez the feller a turning his tarnal white face tu mine, "and I'll give you the money, provided you don't molest us agin."'

"Jest so," sez the Captin, undoing his grip, "shell out, shell out."

The feller put his hand in his pocket and hauled out a swad of bills and five slips of paper with my name on em, all rumpled up together.

"Jest see tu him," sez the Captin, a nodden his head towards the chap, "while I see if it's all right." So he sot down on the silk settee close by that poor woman, and histing one leg over tother, spit on his fingers and counted over the money. It was all fair, so he rolled it up in a swad, put it intu the old wallet and handed it over to me.

"There," sez he, "Mr. Slick, I spose we may as well be a joggin."

With that he told the chap that he'd find the key in the closet door and the nigger safe, and we went down.

"There Jonathan," sez the Captin, "I rather guess we've done it! But what makes you look so womblecroped?"

"I don't know," sez I, a brushin my hands across my eyes, "but it seems tu me that I've lost something more than all that money's worth."

"And what is that?" sez he.

"It's the fust time on earth that I could believe that women could raly be so deceitful and bad. I feel as though I never should think so well of them agin—as if a part of my own heart had dried up all tu once. Captin, Captin, I'd rather work night and day for the money than feel so lonesome about the heart as I do now; I'd as lives stay in a world without sun, as to have no sartinty in the truth of women folks."

I remain your humble, but loving son,

Jonathan Slick.

THE END.

T. B. PETERSON and BROTHERS' PUBLICATIONS.

NEW BOOKS ISSUED EVERY WEEK.

Comprising the most entertaining and absorbing Works published, suitable for the Parlor, Library, Sitting Room, Railroad or Steamboat Reading, by the best writers in the world.

Hand pointingOrders solicited from Booksellers, Librarians, Canvassers, News Agents, and all others in want of good and fast selling books, which will be supplied at very Low Prices.