The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1845-02-27

scorer across Simon's shoulders-'m
Jedldiah Suggs, that's bin in the Lords
sarvlce these ere twenty years--me bet,
yew nasty, sassy, trilin', ugly
4 warnt a-guine tn say that are,
daddy; that warn't what meant, zackly.
| meant tn say that if yew'd let me of
from this ere maulin' yew owe me, and
givc me Bunch, if cut Jack, I'd gicc
yco0 all this ere silver, il | dIdnt-that's
all, Tu be shewcr, ! oilers knowd you
woodcnt Jet.'
Old Mr. Suggs ascertaincd the exact
amount of the silver which his son hand
ed him, in an old leahern pouch, for IN
spection. He also, mentally, compared
that sum with an imaginary one, the sup.
posed value ola certain Indian poney,
called Bunch, which he had bought for
his 'old woman's' Sunday riding, and
which had sent the old lady into fence
corner. the first and only time she had
ever mounted him. AS he weighed the
pouch of silver in his hand, Mr. Suggs al
so endcayored to analyse the character Of
the transaction proposed by Simon. 1T
sartinly can't be nothin' but giren', no
way it kin be twisted he murmured to
himself Il hnow he can't du it, so thar's
no resk. What makes bettin? The
resk, It's a one-sided bisness, and I'll
jaist let him give me all his moncy-that'll
put all his wild sportin' notions out Of his
head!
will yew stand it, daddy?' asked ST.
mon, by way Of waking the old man up
'Yew might as well, for the whppin' won't
du yew no good, and as for Bunch, no.
body about the plantation won't ride him,
but me-.
Simon, replied the old man, Il agree
tn it. Yewer old daddy is in a close place
about payin' for his land; and this ere
money-it's iaist eleven dollers, lackin'
twenty-five ccnts-will help out nightly.
But mind, Simon, il emmy things sed a.
bout this ere, hereafter, remember ycw
gin me the money
Very well, daddy, and if the thing
works up instjd ofdown,l s'posc. we'll say
you gin me Bunch-eh"
'Yew won't never be trubbcl'd tn tell
how yew come by Bunch; the thing 5 a.
gain mater, and can't be done. What
old Jcdidah Sugg knows, he knows, as
good as ennybody. Give me them are
liXaments, Simon.
Our hero handed the cards to his faith
er, turned his back to that individual, in
order to prevent his witnessing the OPP
Grafton drinking. He then sat down very
deliberatcly commenced shutting thc'cards
making, however, an exceedingly awkard
job fit. FESTIVE kings and queens jump
ed from his hands, Or obstinately refused
to slide into company Of the rest of the
pack. Occasionally, sprightly hnare
would insist on facing his neighbor; or
pressing his edge against anothcr's, half
double himself up, and then skip away
But Elder Jedidiah perscvcrngly contin-
ued his attempts to subdue the refracto-
ry, while heavy drops burst from his fore
head and ran down his cheeks. All ola
sudden an idea, quick and penptrating as
a rilc.ball, seemed to have entered the
Uranium of the old man. He chucklcd
audibly. The devil had suggested to Mr.
Suggs an impromptn stock, which would
place the chances O. Simon-already sufli-
cicntly slim in the old mans opinion
without the range of possibility. Mr.
Suggs forthwith proceeded to Gull out all
the 'pictcr kcards,' so as to be 'sartin'
jocks, and place them at the bottom; with
the evident intention of keeping Simon's
fingers above these when he should cut
Our hero, who was quietly looking over
his fathers shoulders all the time, did not
seem alarmed by this disposition of the
cards; on the contrary, he smiled, as III
he felt pretty confident of success, in
spite of it.
Now, daddy said Simon, when his
father had announced himself read.
y, nary one on us ant got III look al
the keards, while I'm cuttin'; we du, it'll
Spite the cungcration.
Very well.
and anulher thing yew've got tn look
me right dead in the eye, daddy-will
ycwr
'Tu be shewer--tu be shewer, said Mr.
Suggs, fire away
Simon walked up close to his father,
and placed his hand on the pack. Old
Mr. Suggs looked in Simon's eye, and 81.
mon returned the look for about three sec
onds, during which close observer nigh,
have detected a suspicious working about
the wrist ofthe hand on the cards, but the
elder Suggs did not remark it.
Wake snahes!-days breakin'! Rise
Jack' said Simon, cutting half dozen
cards from the top Of the pack, and pre-
senting the face of the bottom one for the
inspection of his father,
1t was the Jack of Hearts!
Old Mr. Suggs staggered back several
steps, with uplitcd eyes and hands
'Mercilul master! he exclaimed, 'ifthe
boy haint-wal, how in creation! Ben,
did yew ever!-tu be shewer and sartin
Satan has power on this ere airth!' and
Mr. Suggs groaned in heavy bitterness.
'Yew never seed nolhin' like that are
in Aagusty, did yew, daddy Fasked Simon,
with a malicious wink at Ben.
Simon, how did yew du it, queried
tho Ill ,,o, ,,,t hout N oticinr his CON-