The Grinder Papers — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

ey: ‘ a ee _~ THE GRINDER PAPERS. © 69 » ‘Thank ye,” saysshe, ‘‘I’ll jest wrap up one of her old un for you to know the size.” So up she wrapped it, and I stuck it in my pocket, and na- t'rally didn’t think of it agin. Well, we had tea. Miss Knockternal had four kinds o’ cake and three kinds 0’ sweetmeats—sugar was high that year, but law, Miss Knockternal wus allers one to hev’em. Arter tea we went up stairs. Then the gentlemen came, and apples, and nuts, and cider, and more cake, were handed round; and Mr. Mozart Jenks he came, sot alongside o’ me, and devoted himself to me the heft of the evenin’. When it came time to go, sez he: ‘Miss Grinder, may I have the pleasure o’ escortin you hum?” Sez I, ‘‘ Yes, Mr. Jenks.” So we started together. For half a mile he moved along, suckin’ his cane head, and not sayin’ nuthin’. Kinder made me mad to see him so spoony, and sez I, I'll fetch him—I'll hev the proposition out of him tu-night, or I ain’t Chat Grinder. So I heft a great sigh. : ‘‘What ails ye?” says he. ‘‘Nuthin’,” sez I, and I puts my handkercher to my eyes, ‘*Oh,” sez he, ‘‘du tell me.” Sez I, ‘‘I’m thinkin’ what a desert this here world is without a companion what congeliates with a body’s soul.” Sez he, ‘‘Sing’lar. I wus thinkin’ nigh about the same.” I ‘ How curus,” says I, ‘Ain't it?” says he, EGomicboo cS m