Year: 1870

1t amt decent. l tell you it's a
good enough game for one-legged
man, and if you choose to have q
leg sawed off you can dance round
as macil as you've a mind to, but
you shan't do it until you're a Grip
pie. if you shall I'm a Dutchman."


wilkins, you know /"


GA pretty looking spectacle you'll
make of yourself standing on one
OF those old fourteen inch feet


wilkins, I'll Ereak--''
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. Who's
going to pay for the odd boots you
scutf out, I'd like to know? I want t
you to understand | amt I'm not
going to go round every week buy
ing shoes to cover those feet, and
creating a panic in the leather mar
ket. Not if I know myself. !
amt"


eff you will only let me explain
Mr. Wiki


"You can't hop anyhow. You
couldn't stand on one leg to save
your life, and even if you could do
you suppose I want my wife to 90
waltzing around through this hem
! isphore like a turkey with a sore
toe? Hop? Why, you couldn't
hop any more than a camelleopard
could turn back somersault; no,
you couldn't. You might just as
well try to split log Of wood with
a slice of water melon as for you to
endeavor to hop. If you're SO fond
of hopping, I'll get a hopper, and
have you mashed up to atoms. l
wish to gracious that could be
done.'


"Ain't you ashamed to talk in
that"


'sThe next thing I expect you'll
want to be sauntering around this
land of the free and home of the
brave, playing match games and
having your name published in the
newspapers as the great Hop Scotch
Woman, and bring disgrace and
misery on your family, but it shan't
be done with my consent. If you
go Tipping around at any of these
games hang me if l don't get the
first policeman I can find to grab
you as a maniac, and put yoa in g
straight jacket if can get one big
enough to fit you. It's too scanda-
lous for ANYTHING"


'Mr. Wilkins, you behave like a
perfect"


"And you're just the very kind Of
a woman to go to work and try to
be at the head of the business, and
lay yourself out to win the champi
ons belt, and to go around challeng-
ing other feeble minded women, and
spreading yourself on matches.
Why, it's ridiculous. I'd like to
know what you'd do with the belt
if you got it, anyhow? No belt,
you know is going to reach around
that waist.'


s'Mr. Wilkins, what do youmean
Ill"


"You might just as well try to
buckle skate strap around a church
steeple; yes, you might. You 60
ing to try for the champion 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 bon
nets, and teach your neglected chil-
dren vanity and pride. But II


"Wilkins, you're silly


"But l just want you to bear in
mind that 1 put up no cash for you
won't shell out any money fol-
stakes. In my opinion you'd better
a plague sight stay home and cook
steaks for your family. When you
die I'll drive a stake into your colo
and silent grave to hold you down
That's


"You shan't talk in that scanda-
lous-''


s'That's all the stake you get out
of me unless you carry on YOU
tomfoolery 50 long that I'll be
obliged to drive stake in the back
yard, and tie you to it by your Hop
Scotch leg like some old hen to
keep you from wandering off. Ant
that's just what it's going to come
to in my opinion, let me tell you


"You know | never thought O.
such a"


''And 1 don't want you to &C
practicing out here in the stree
With the SOys in the afternoons
either-just recolleet that, will you
If you must Hop Scotch, 60 dowr
in the cellar, out of decent society
and you can Hop Scotch, or Irisl
or High Dutch or any other way
you want to, but keep out of tn,
street. I don't want this commu
, nifty to see an old pullet like you
Wilkins, I'll scratch
'"Like you bouncing around owe
2 the pavement among a parcel o
boys, creating fierce earthquake
everytime you hop, and very likely
getting the city authorities down OF
me for loosening the bricks ant
breaking the cuiverts in; and you,
a good deal better stamp aroun(
somewhere where they want tn
cobble stones rammed, only you,
very likely drive them half wa,
through to China every time yo,
came down on them with one O
those number nines.'


elf you only give me a chance
! Mr.. Wilkins. I'd tell you that"
Il don't want to give you
chance, or you'll hop off with al
the decency and proprietV in th