The Grinder Papers — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

278 THE GRINDER PAPERS. ‘“Well,” sez he, starin’, ‘‘my name is—is Jones, old lady. sf - Sez I, ‘‘Well, Mr. Jones, jest you pick up your hat and walk, short meter. I’m left here tu take keer 0’ Neptuny Wickum, and no feller is tu spent his evenin’s here while I stay. Neptu- ny cant cum down, and you needn't call again.” So he walked, lookin’ as black as ink, and awfully disgusted. Next day there come a note tu Neptuny. She was goin’ tu read it without showin’ it tu me; but I jest grabbed it. - “Twas an invite tu the opery. - ‘“Well,” sez I, ‘‘you sot down and write how't you can't go. 3 ‘<I shan,” sezshe. ‘‘I’m not a prisoner.” | Sez I, ‘‘I will!” and I sot down and writ an answer. ‘‘ Give that tu the person that fetched the invite,” sez I, and the oat had had her orders from Miss Wickum, and did it. - Neptuny was as mad as hops. I know she'd hev liked tu pison me. “Twould a made anybody grin fur tu hev seen us arter that. I don’t suppose we spoke tu each other twice a day, but she was always keepin’ me on the go. Ef one feller didn't call, another did, and at last I had-tu speak tu the footman, a good-looking fellow, quite spry on his feet. Sez I, “Peter, are you tu be trusted?” Sez he, ‘‘ Yes’m.” Sez I, ‘You know why I’m here, I suppose?” “Well,” sez he, ‘‘they du say the cappen don’t approve of Miss Neptuny bein’ courted.” “Yes,” sez I. ‘Now, Peter, ef she gets off unknownst tu comicboo