"I have," said Bill.
"I say you haven't!"
"I say I have."
"Ah! you cheat! I won't play with you no more."
This shortly led to a quarrel, and taking off his coat Mathews offered to fight any of the boys. One of the little fellows immediately threw his coat and hat on the ground, and squaring up to the big fellow, urged him to come on. Mathews got out of the row by giving his adversary the marbles he had won, thus restoring good humor, and he left the scene, delighted with the amusement he had received from it, although retaining his mimicry to the end by calling out as he quitted them, "I must go to my ma."
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Begun in Harper's Round Table No. 821