The Grinder Papers — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

178 THE GRINDER PAPERS. puddles where they've bin a spittin. Mr. Chalker warn’t much worse than the rest, only he kep’ it up later. What he did fur a livin’ I couldn’t tell. I warn’t curus about it, but in the cause o’ respectabilitude I consider it a Christian duty fur tu find out who folks be. ~ On Tuesday evenin’ I retired at a unusually early hour. "Twarn’t without a motive. At that hour Mr. Chalker went out for a walk, reg’lar, staid about an hour, and then come back. His room was opposite mine, and my key opened his door. Ef ‘twas possible tu dis- kiver what he was, I meant tu du it. Nat rally seein’ how’t this was my intention, I didn’t undress. I jist slipped on my purple calico double gown, and a nightcap, and when I heerd him go out, run across and in. The room was upside down, and smelt o’ smoke, and there was four bottles on the manteltry. But things was locked up, with the exception o’ histrunk. I looked intuthat. He hadn't no shirts but two flannel ones; but he had a lot o' paper buz- zums, and collars, and cuffs. He was forehand for neck-ties, tew, and I was jest tryin’ tu see what was in a paper passel, when, land o’ liberty! I heerd the lock turn, and in a minnit I knowed he'd returned. There warn’t nuthin’ left for me but tu slip intu a pantry, and blow my lightout. The next minnit in he walks, along with another person of the mensect. My heart palpita- tioned with the knowledge o’ how indelicately I was sittiwated, and ef it hadn't a been for fear o’ bein’ heerd, I should hev con- sidered it my duty for tu hev had highstrikes, . = a" 2 Swe ? = y+ ¥ é comicbooks.com.