The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-09-28

er insisted on his drinking some pepper
mint tea to calm his nerves before he
started.
He sold his wheat for seventy-fve dol
lars-tied his horses to tree, and gave
them the batting of hay he had brought
from home; and then turned his steps
towar1 milliner's shop. He went in
feeling very magnanimous, and lingering
the ten cent piece he was SO soon to be rid
| of. His request to look at some belt rib
bons was speedily complied with, and the
counter was strown with the glistening
noire antique.
He selected a gorgeous affair fred and
yellow, with spots Of green, and ordered
three-quarters of yard cut of, and wrap
ped up It was done.
"What be the price Of that gimoraok ?"
he inquired, pulling out his wallet.
FIFTY oents-aad cheap at that" re.
piled the glib tongued milliner.
"Fifty centsp' cried Giles, slapping
his hands en his knees, "why it aint
worth sixpence! Ketch me giving
fifty cents for it p
He started for the door in utter indig-
nation.
"Stop, sir" said the milliner, Kit is cut
of, and done up. You'll have to take it,
We don't make chiIdren's bargains here"
81 won't take it I won't be cheated
out of half a dollar that way! No sir .
not by long chalk !'
"But you must take it, sir"
II can't give Fifty Cents, why It's aw-
ful! I sot out to give it to e gal, if l
could have get it for ninepenoe, or there
abonts! She's a smart enc, and when
we're married, I could git niaepence
worth out Of her in odd jobs, rak:ng hay,
and sich-but fifty cents I'd see her
burned fust"'
And again Giles made for the door
lie was excited and took the wrong aport-
ure, and instead of finding himself in the
streets as he had expected, he was in the
work room, surrounded by pretty girls
and crinoline,
Stop him, there, gir!s.' cried the
milliner, appearing at the door with ayard
stick, 'he's tried to cheat me out Of fifty
cents Don't let him 60 i! Corner him !"
Giles Ieaped frantically over, and into,
band boxes, and bonnet frames, but the
girls were in for the joke and all egresS,
except by the window, was cut of. He
cast one glance back at the irate face Of
the milliner-she was coming with the
yardstick it was sufficient to decide him.
He dashed out the sash with one blow Of
his fist, and jumped through As bad
luck would have it, he alighted exactly
in the arms, and in the basket, of a street
market woman who was crying her tur-
nips and squashes about the streets aud
the consequence was, her very best
and the fair proportions Of her
Shaker bonnet were knocked into cooked
hat Of course she woman was mad.
It must be an angelic tempered female
who can keep cool when her bonnet is
smashed.
She called On Giles to settle the dam
ages or take the consequences. lie pre-
ferred taking to giving, and took to his
heels. The woman followed-a huge
beet brandished in one hand, and a NAM
moth turnip in the other-ready to an
initiate him as soon as she got ge2r
enough.
Giles had little flesh to encumber him,
and he ran more easily than bis pursuer,
who was slightly enGonpojat ; but fortune
favored her, and Giles slipped down on
curbstone. In moment she was upon
him, belaboring him with the beet-but
only for a moment. He was upon his
feet and of again before her wrath was
half spent. She took aim with the tur-
nip at his head, but she had not practiced
much in projectiles, and the vegetable,
instead of hitting the marx, went crash |.
through Higgins grocery window
smashing two kerosene lamps, and glass
jar of patent cough candy! And amid
the uproar consequent thereon, Giles
leaped over several small boys, some fences
and cutters, heaps of coal and terrified
and escaped. But he had split
his best coat entirely down the back, and .
lost his straw hat, that was new the fore
going summer. His mother boxed his
ears soundly, and sent him to bed supper
less, and he dreamed of the prison all
night.
The next day he was arrested at the
suit of the milliner, the market woman,
and Higgins Of the grocery; and was
obliged to pay ten dollars to save himself
from jail. You may well guess that it
was like parting soul and body. His
mother kept him on half allowance for
SIX weeks afterward, and he got SO thin
that one would have required a spy glass
to see his shadow, unless the sun had
been remarkably brilliant.