The Grinder Papers — page 238: what you’re looking at

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

THE GRINDER PAPERS. 233 I didn’t like the looks o’ the chambermaid. But the second week, that gal went off one night in Miss Tibbs’ best cloak and bunnit and never came back, and the cook was found tipsy down cellar with a barrel o’ ale runnin’ away and soakin’ her, and was turned off. So both gals was gone and Miss Tibbs was obliga- ted to get a couple more. Sez she, ‘‘Will you take keer o’ the home while I’m gone, Miss Grinder?” sez she. | ‘With pleasure,” sez I. So off she went to the intelligence office, takin’ the boy with her. The gals was at school, so the hull responserbility o’ purtectin’ the property rested on my shoul- ders. I hada kind o’a presentiment how't suthin’ would hap- pen, and I sez tu myself, Charity Grinder, sez I, whatever tryin’ sitavation you air placed in, remember fur tu show how't your courage is equal tu the emergency, and prove yourself an honor tu the female sect. | My sperits was riz by this here resolution, and I sot down tu pass the time by readin’ some o Miss Tibbs’ letters, when the bell rings. There was suthin’ in that ring that gave me a start. I locked up Miss Tibbs’ desk again and went tu the door. There I found a young man waitin’. Sez he, ‘‘Is this here Miss Tibbs?” “Ves,” sez I. “‘Qwn the house?” sez he. “Ves.” sez I. _ ‘What's its value?” sez he. I told him. Eomicboo “S m :