The Grinder Papers — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

THE GRINDER PAPERS. Sic staring and wondering, and my head buzzing for all the world like a hive of bees, when up comes a gentleman in brass coat and blue buttons. No, I mean t’other way, blue coat and brass buttons, and stands aside me. When I fust come down I took ‘em for officers in the milingtary; but Sary says they’re police- men. So just fancy my horror when this here one cotches hold on me. ‘“‘Come along, mum,’ says he. ‘‘Hurry up, now; dont poke.” Then I knowed I was under arrest, and began to holler. ‘Oh, I ain’tdone nothin’. I never dd do nothin’ to be took up for. I’m innocent as a babe unborn.” And I pounded him with my bag, until I reckon he was black and blue. Folks stopped and didn’t say nothin’. Kinder grinned and stared a bit, and suddenly a thought struck me. They said Catholics was gainin’ power in York, and this was a new inquisition, and they was carryin’ me off to torture as a martyr with thumb-screws and pincers for bein’ a good Baptist. So with that I felt-kind of inspired with zeal, and says I: ‘‘Do your worst, fiend, you can’t make me remunerate; I'll die a saint.” ‘“Ts she crazy, poor dear,’ Says the policeman: ‘‘Nom. The tarnal old goose thinks she’s took up, because I offered ta take her across, when she was tryin’ to get herself run over.” Says the lady—such a nice woman with a little round hat and spangles in her net ; b says a lady. comicbooks €o