"There!" cried Wilson, "I reckon that settles it! I knew perfectly well
my note was purloined."

"Purloined!" retorted Billson. "I'll let you know that neither you nor
any man of your kidney must venture to--"

The Chair: "Order, gentlemen, order! Take your seats, both of you,
please."

They obeyed, shaking their heads and grumbling angrily. The house was
profoundly puzzled; it did not know what to do with this curious
emergency. Presently Thompson got up. Thompson was the hatter. He
would have liked to be a Nineteener; but such was not for him; his stock
of hats was not considerable enough for the position. He said:

"Mr. Chairman, if I may be permitted to make a suggestion, can both of
these gentlemen be right? I put it to you, sir, can both have happened
to say the very same words to the stranger? It seems to me--"

The tanner got up and interrupted him. The tanner was a disgruntled man;
he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener, but he couldn't get
recognition. It made him a little unpleasant in his ways and speech.
Said he:

"Sho, _that's_ not the point! _That_ could happen--twice in a hundred
years--but not the other thing. _Neither_ of them gave the twenty
dollars!" [A ripple of applause.]

Billson. "I did!"