The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-21


voice ''there ain't light In tent but
this old gals, Mrs. Swillln. But she's
abed and asleep; she always keeps her
light aburning. 1 tell you, Snuffin,
that we've got just as much right to
have little pleasure as other people.
You beat me last night and won my
money fair, but I'll bet you that I'll
wax you before morning. It's awfully
monotonous up here, and we would
have died If hadn't brought my cards
along. "To be sure,' continued he, In
a marvellous imitation of Snuffin's voice,
''and the Presiding Elder Is coming up
and then we can make 1t four-handed
d-n a three-h handed game, anyhow, and
amt going to play with the joker,
either"
Certainly not" he said in Teams
voice, ''and when will this Internal old
camp break upp"
"Not till next week." he said in
Snuflin's voice, "and that's just our
luck-we'll miss the races in town"
And he moved away.
To say that the ladies in the tent were
thunderstruck when they heard their
beloved brothers talk thus, would ex-
press it but tamely. They were par
alysed with Indignation and wonder.
They would fain believe it a dream or
themselves mistaken, but they could
not. They could not shake off the
hideous reality. Every one of them
had heard every word distinctly, and
they were perfectly familiar with the
voices of Brothers Snuffin and Team.
While they looked at each other, COM
pletely dazed, and fast losing all faith
in human nature, the mimic came
behind the tent again, and, in the voice
of Brother Crumbs, as though talking
to himself, said: Brothers Team and
Snuffin have gone ahead. They're
bloody pair of sons of guns, and swindled
me last night, but I'll get even with
them yeti" And he moved away
again.
Mrs. Swillin at last recovered suf1i-
GENTLY to speak: "Merciful Fathers
Did you hear that ?"
Indeed / did, Mrs. Swilln,' said
Miss Bane, "but men are all alike Just
to think that them men could preach
and pray so fine, and roll up their eyes
and fool us wimin, and then gamble at
night What ought we to do ?''
" Do ~ said Mrs. Bows ''do Why
we ought to report it to the Presiding
Elder"
What good would that do ?" asked
Mrs. Swillin, she's wuss than any of
them. Didn't you hear that owdacious
wretch say that the Presiding Elder was
to make it four-handed ?"
=" Lors a mercy, yes.'
"And that miserable monster say l
was an old gal Old gal, am 1 Oh,
the hippercrit Many's the good dinner
he's eat at my house, and whenever he
wanted little sumthing for the origin
or the kire or anything like that, he'd
come round Mr.. Swillin in the softest
kind of way and say it was for the Lord.
The Lord, indeed How do we know
but what he wanted it to play cards
with? He's been mighty kind to me
since Mr.. Swillin died, too, but my eyes
is opened now; he wants my money"
Mrs. Todd, who had sat speecbless
with amazement during this time, here
found her tongue: If L hadn't aheard
it from their own lips, an angel right
down couldn't have made me believe it.
It's the most dreadful thing 1 ever found
out yet-perfectly dreadful, and / don't
care who it hurts, I'm just going to tell
everybody all about it,"
so am l." said Mrs. Swillin. "And
I, too" said all the rest.
Certainly" said Mrs. Swillin. It's
duty we owes to the church and to
ourselves. Don't let's have any wolves
in Sleeps clothing"
And the good women spread it most
industriously to the tremendous damage
of the Presiding Elder, and Brothers
Team, Snuffin, and Crumbs, and retri-
button has not overtaken the mimic yet,
but he'll receive his punishment in time.
Found Their Match.