What's your hurry? (Illustrated)

Sit down! Sit down! Stop right where you are! The game isn't over by a long way.
I've got a few aces up my sleeve yet, and don't you forget it!
No wonder I'm feeling tiptop! Fact is, I fancy I am feeling to-night a little like the colored brother who got religion, and filled with enthusiasm, or something more of a liquid character, expressed to the doubting parson his desire to imitate Elijah, and go to glory in a chariot of fire.
""Yes,"" said the parson, ""I reckon, my friend, you'se just want to get acclimated-like before reachin' de end ob your journey.""
Now how did that reverend gentleman know?
Why, only through circumstantial evidence, for you see he had unfortunately once been the proud[Pg 4] owner of a flock of fowls that did not have sense enough to roost high.

However, I'm not sighing just yet to go to glory.
This gay metropolis pleases me some.
But, talking of circumstantial evidence, I know one man who would never consent to hang a suspected murderer on the strength of it.
You won't blame him, either, when you hear what his experience in that line has I been.
He's a doctor by profession.
His learning has always been in the direction of mind troubles, and consequently I wasn't surprised when I met him the other day to learn that he is now in full charge of one of the biggest institutions in the State, for the care of the insane.
Now, it happened that recently in making a tour of inspection the doctor had occasion to enter an unoccupied cell in the ward reserved for incurables.
As he did so the iron door clicked shut, making him a prisoner in his own asylum.
While he was standing there, rattling the grating and calling for an attendant, a party of visitors came strolling his way.