Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-08-15
TURNING THE TABLES.
BY WILLIE WINTER.

One practical joke mas lasted me a
lifetime. When anyone invites me
now to what Martin called "a bit of
executive pleasantly" | say "No, ex-
cuse me I don't believe in pleasan.
try" The fact is, some people have
their fun distributed for them along
the pathway of life. | had mine
showered on me all in one day. Clear
ed the whole thing off, so to speak, in
one job, and have been solemn ever
since.
When I bought that box at Scar.
borough, and went into the idyllic
thing, with dogs and grapevines, and
pruning knives, believe there wasn't
a preltier cottage in Westchester. 1t
was such bowery and blossoming
place, with its big, inviting yerandah,
smothered in honey-suckle and climb
ing roses, and its cool lawn, that you
may be sure that l had lots of good
fellows coming up there from the city
in the season. They sketched, boat
ed, whipped the mountain streams,
and loated on my yerandah in the
most princely fashion.
One Gay Martin and Scott stopped
at the gate and pretended to be tramps.
believed they'd walked all the way
up from the city, for they were cover
ed with dust. So ] set the dogs on
them-Nip and Tuck were both with
me then-told Angeline to scream fol
help, and then took them in, idenli-
fed them, poured some Rhenish down
and planting them in their right
minds on the verandah, accept ed theil
apologies.
| believe they stayed two weeks.
can tell exactly by referring to the
house-keeper's book, you would like
me to be correct. They poked about
nll over the county, pretending tc
commune with Nature and make color
studies, but in reality lying on theil
backs under the trees, exposing them
selves in the brooks, and making Inc
believe, every other day, that they had
been bitten by rattlesnakes.
You couldn't get mad at 'em. They
did pretty much as they pleased, and
| believe Apgeline abetted them il
half their deviltry. In one Of theil
rambles they discovered, about half Z
mile up the road, torsaken rookery
just upon the edge ola lane. 1t was
deserted old tumble down frame
house. The windows were boarded
up. The door was off its hinges.
There was green mud-puddle by its
side. Inside, dirt and desolation had
fought themselves out and gone into
an indissoluble alliance, l don't think
there was meaner, wretcheder, mas
tier shanty on the Hudson. The only
grace it had was lent by sycamore
that tenderly hid the most Of it from
the few passers by.
What do you think my two galli.
ards proposed ? 1t wasn't enough to
praise the beauty Of the old house, and
make sketches Of its rat.holes and
broken down chimney, but they car
ried me and Angeline off to enjoy
their discovery. That mad Martin
stood there in the road, with his head
cooked on one side, in rapt admira.
ton, and vowed it was the most pic
turesque pile he'd ever seen. They
made me sit down on what had been a
portion of pig-pen, and they divulg-
ed to me one OF the blackest, cold
blooded schemes that ever entered in
to the heart Of a malign monster.
Lets hire the place." says Scott,
'and invite White Tyson and Brown
Glover up to see u.s."
We all looked at each other in 81
lence moment, as the rich perfdy
of the scheme flashed through our
minds.
If you know Ty-we always called
him White Ty. in Our familiar mo
ments-you must be aware that he is
the most punctilious snob out Of Pic.