The Grinder Papers — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

12 THE GRINDER PAPERS. Says I, ‘“‘put me in, Mr. Cabman. Shut me up safe, and take me to Cousin John’s.” And, before I knew it, there I was on as nice a cushion, with a carpet for my feet, as ever you saw. And he put my trunks on, and gave me my carpet-bag, and acted up to that time like a gentleman. But he was a rascal all the same, for after he’d driven me not more than two blocks through a place where I suppose there’d been a riot, for sugar hogsheads laid all about, and boxes were piled up and tumbled over in heaps, he stops. ‘‘Ma’am,” says he, peeping in at the window - in the roof, © ‘‘where shall I drive to?” ‘*Cousin John Mawkins, 93 says I. ‘‘Where’s that, ma’am?’ says he. “Oh, I forgot the street,” says I, ‘‘but it’s a long one, with brown-stone houses and high stoops.” Says he, ‘‘New York is full of such; please remember the name and number.” “Can't,” says I. ‘‘But I’ve got it in my brown paper parcel on a card,’ ) So I looked for the parcel, and, lo and behold, it wasn’t there Not on the seat nor on the floor. ‘It's gone!” says I. ‘‘ Have to think where the tise | is, ma'am, 3) says he. So I thought, but it was like thinking of the multiplication- table when I went to school. I remembered all sorts of num- | bers, but couldn't tell which was the right one. . | ‘‘'m not sure it isn’t number 25 Five-hundred-and-eighth street,” says I. (@) comicbooks.com |