The Grinder Papers — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

104 THE GRINDER PAPERS. ‘‘Now, Hanner,”—that’s her name—‘‘I jist want that soap back agin.” DB ‘‘T ain’t got no soap, missus,” sez she. Sez I, ‘‘ You hev.” And jist then Mrs. Lowery came in, and I told her the hull story. a9 ‘‘She’s got it agin,” sez I. And what d’ye s’pose Mrs. Lowery sez? She ups with her hands and she rolls her eyes, and sez she: ‘‘Oh, Hanner, Hanner! fur shame fur tu try tu wash away ‘ that badge o’ honor, a black skin—you’d orter glory in it!” Sez Hanner, ‘‘I’d ruther be a white lady, please ‘m.” Sez she, ‘‘That’s because you’ve been kept in ignorance, Hanner. No, Miss Grinder, Hanner is above stealin’ your soap.” bs : ‘‘Feaps above it, ole missus,” sez Hanner. Sez I, ‘‘Say old missus to a young lady agin if you durst!” And away I marched, and didn’t come down until tea time, for I felt sure she’d got the soap, and I was mad at Miss Lowery for not believing it. When the bell rung, down I came, though, and fust thing I geen was my ginger-cake on a plate. ‘‘'That’s Miss Grinder’s makeo’ ginger-cake,” sez Miss Low- ery, ‘‘and I know it’s nice.” ee, She's real good-natured, Miss Lowery is, fur I allers give . everybody their due. Well, arter we'd eat our bread and butter and cold meat, ope comicbook