The Grinder Papers — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

THE GRINDER PAPERS. 13 «¢ Ain’t any street of that number,” says he. “Oh!” says I, ‘‘lawful sakes !” ‘*Perhaps it’s eighth street,” says he. ‘‘No,” says IL. Then, all of a sudden, I remembered and saw just as plain as day what he was doing. Says I, ‘‘Ain’t you ashamed, an able-bodied man like you, to _try to cheat an old lady!” ‘‘Haven’t overcharged a cent,” says he. ‘’Tisn’t overcharge,” says I. ‘‘You know what I mean. ‘You know the city, I don’t; of course you know where John -Mawkins lives.” “Ts he a public man?” says he “‘T should think so,” says I. ‘‘Kept a hardware store for twenty years before he retired and married Cousin Martha. He's got an awful long nose, sort o askew, and gray eyes. About five feet six inches, and dyes his hair. ‘They’ve gota daughter named Minty, and they wrote to me that she was being courted by a young man of the nameof Brown. House is brown-stone, with a high stoop, they tell me. Now, don't pretend any more, but take me there. I[ ain't green, if 1 am from the country.” Says he—oh, what a wretch he was— ‘<7 can't find it unless I have street and number, ma’am.” “You shall,” says I. ‘“‘’m very sorry; ma'am,” says he, ‘‘but, perhaps you remem: ber some other person you could go to?” , *“To be sure,” says I. ‘‘There’s Cousin Fizzle and his see (Eo paliiCel exexey <Sjarere)