der of this card is "the old maid."

* * * * *

POPE JOAN

This amusing game is for any number of players, and is played with a
wooden board which is divided into compartments or pools, and can be
bought cheaply at any toy shop for a small sum. Failing a board, use a
sheet of paper marked out in squares.

Before dealing, the eight of diamonds is taken out of the pack, and
the deal is settled by cutting the cards, and whoever turns up the
first jack is dealer.

The dealer then shuffles the cards and his left-hand neighbor cuts
them. The dealer must next "dress the board," that is, he must put
counters into the pools, which are all marked differently. This is the
way to dress the board: One counter to each ace, king, queen, jack,
and game, two to matrimony (king and queen), two to intrigue (queen
and jack), and six to the nine of diamonds, which is the Pope. On a
proper board you will see these marked on it.

The cards are now dealt round to the players, with the exception of
one card, which is turned up for trumps, and six or eight, which are
put aside to form the stops; the four kings and the seven of diamonds
are also always stops.

If either ace, king, queen, or jack happen to be turned up for trumps,
the dealer may take whatever is in the compartment with that mark; but
when Pope is turned up for trumps, the dealer takes all the counters
in Pope's compartment as well as those in the "game" compartment,
besides a counter for every card dealt to each player, which must, of
course, be paid by the players. There is then a fresh deal.

It is very seldom, however, that Pope does turn up for trumps; when it
does not happen, the player next to the dealer begins to play, trying
to get rid of as many cards as possible. First he leads cards which he
knows will be stops, then Pope, if he has it, and afterward the lowest
card in his suit, particularly an ace, for that can never be led
up to. The other players follow when they can; for instance, if the
leader plays the two of diamonds, whoever holds the three plays it,
some one follows with the four, and so on until a stop occurs; whoever
plays the card which makes a stop becomes leader and can play what he
chooses.

This goes on until some person has parted with all his cards, by which
he wins the counters in the "game" compartment and receives from the
players a counter for every card they hold. Should any one hold the
Pope he is excuse