The Grinder Papers — page 108: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

> — i a THE GRINDER PAPERS. 103 next day I found her scourin’ herself before the glass. Minute I caught her down she went on her knees, and says she: **Oh, please don’t tell on me! please don’t, old missus!” Says I, ‘‘Land alive! ‘“Twouldn’t be no use to tell, consid- _ erin’ the Lowerys wouldn't tech ye if ye was to murder me. But what possessed ye to take that soap when there was lots o Says she, “‘I heerd you say you'd been as black as me ef you haxin’t used it, and I thort mebbe ef I did I'd come white.” Lecouldn’t help larfin. ““Land o Goshen!" saysI. ‘‘Itll take more’n soap to get you white, and ef you tech this agin I'll take my shoe to you,” and I locked the door on her; and for fear she might meddle agin, I went and wrapped my soap up in paper and stuck it in my buzzum, arter I'd washed it well, of course. When I went down stairs I found Miss Lowery down in the kitchen, makin’ cake. She was dreadful busy, and I set to and helped her. I'm a master-hand for gingerbread, and this one I made riz up light and brown and as handsome as a pictur. *“We'll hev /4a# warm for tea,” says Miss Lowery. ‘‘Ginger- cake is good warm.” And she praised it tu the skies, as well she might, for it beat hers all holler. Then I werit up stairs ag’n tu wash my hands, and made sure to find the soap in my buzzum; but, land-alive, ‘twarnt there! I ron déwn agin and looked, but I couldn't find it; and I knowed for sartin the Freedman young woman had got it somehow, so I marched up to her, and sez I: cComichboo cS: