The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-06-04
THE HOP SCOTCH CLUB
By JOHN QUILL.
'But Mr.. Wilkins. just listen

mine. It's perfectly ridiculous, any way,
for a lot of women like you and old Mrs. |
Smith TO start out and try to get up |
Hop Scotch Club. Who ever heard of |
female playing such a game as thatP 1t
amt decent, l tell you It's a good
enough game for one legged man, and if
you choose to have leg sawed off you
can dance round as much as you've
mind to, but you shan't do it until you're
cripple, if you shall, I'm Dutchman''
wilkins. you know L,
ga pretty looking spectacle you'll make
OF yourself standing on one of those old
! fourteen inch feet
"Wilkins, I'll break"
''Standing on one of those hoofs, kicking
around after an oyster shell, and putting
your toe on the line and getting out, and
having to go back and pitch for your
place. Whose going to pay for the old
boots you scuff out I'd like to know?
want you to understand | amt. Pm not
| going to 60 round every week buying
shoes TO cover those feet and creating
panic in the leather market. Not if
l know myself l amt"
IF you will only let me explain, MIR.
| Wilk-"
"You can't hop anyhow. You couldn't
stand on one leg TO save your life, and
even if you could, do you suppose l want
my wife to 90 Waiting round through this
hemisphere like a turkey with sore zoe
Hop? Why you couldn't hop any more
than cameleOpard could turn a back
somersault; no, you couldn't. You just
might as well try to split log of wood
with a slice Of watermelon as for you to
endeavor to hop. If you're SO fond of
hopping, I'll get hopper, and have you
mashed up to atoms. l wish to gracious
that could be DONE
CANT you ashamed to talk in that"
''The next | expect you'll want 10 be
sauntering around this land of the free
and the home of the brave, playing match
games, and having your name published
In the newspapers as the gIe1t Hop ScolCh
woman, and bring disgrace and misery
on your family. But it shan't be done
with my consent. If you 60 Tipping
around at any of these games hang tne if
/ don't Get the first policeman / can find
to grab you as a maniac, and pat you in a
straight jacket. if 1 can buy one big
enough to fit you. LIS TOO scandaious
for anything"
"A1r Wilkins, you behave Ike per-
feet"
''And you're just the kind of woman to
go to work and try to be at the head of
the business and lay yourself out to win
the champions belt, and TO go around
challenging other feeble-minded women,
and spreading yourself on matches. Why,
I riS;oulOnS IA EEa fn Ennuy ruh
you'd do with the belt is you got it., any~
how No belt, you know, is going to
reach around that waist
"Mr. Wilkins, what do you mean
I'Il-"
''You might Just as well try to buckle a
skate strap around church steeple; yes
you might. You going to try for the
champions belt Well, that is amusing.
And then suppose, if you win the stakes
you'll come home here and spend the
whole of the money on spring bonDets,
and teach your neglected childron vanity
and pride But l.
''Wilkins, you're so silly"
''But just want you to bear in mind
that put up no cash for you. l won't
shell out any money for stakes. In my
opinion you'd better plagued sight stay
at home and cook steaks for your family.
When you die I'll drive stake into your
cold and silent grave TO hold you down.
That's"
''You shan't talk in that scandalous-'
''That's ali the stake you get our of me,
unless you carry on your tomfoolery SO
long that I'll be obliged to drive stake
into the back yard, and tie you to it by
your Hop Scotch leg like some old hen to
keep you from wandering off. And that's
just what it's going to come to in my opin>
ion. let me tell you"
''You know [ never thought Of such
a"
''And don't want you to go practicing
out here in the street with the boys in the
afternoon either, just reCo lect that, will
you! If you must Hop Scotch, 60 down
in the cellar, out of decent society. and
you can Hop Scotch or Irish or High
Dutch, or any other way you want to, but
keep out of the streets l don't want this
community to see an old pullet like you
''Wilkins, Ill scratch"
''Like yoa bouncing around over the
pavement among parcel of boys, Greats
ing first class earthquake every time you
hop, and very likely getting the city au-
;horities down on me for breaking the
culverts in; and you'd good deal better
stamp around somewhere where they want
the cobble stones rammed, only you'd
very likely drive them half way through
to China every time you came down on
them witt those number mines"
'If you only give me a chance, Mr..
Wilkins, I'll tell you that"
81 don't want to give you a chance, or
you will hop of with all the decency and
proPriety in the family"
THAT | never thought of such thing
as joining Hop Scotch Cub"
''What