The Grinder Papers — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

THE GRINDER PAPERS. "7 omnibus. But could I desert my Horace under such horrible circumstances? Lord forbid! I walked by his side, feeling that if, after such a sacrifice, he could ever cease to adore me, he was less than man. . And all the while Charity was talking. ‘When I heerd you say you was goin’ to a mattyneigh, I thought I’d go tu,” she said. ‘‘I never seen one, and I want tu see all the sights.. Lor’! here we are, ain’t we?” For just then a wretch of a Jew boy thrust himself before us, crying, ‘“Opera-glasses for the mavmee, sir!” ‘‘Hurry in,” said Charity, ‘‘and get good places.” And she dragged Horace on; and he, like one out of his senses, took three tickets, and went straight on. ‘‘ Horace,” I whispered, ‘‘make her let go, can’t you ?” And he answered like one in a dream : ‘‘Pewhaps we can lose her in the cwowd.” He got her into a seat, and in the bustle of entrance people didn’t notice much, or thought she didn’t come with us. Then away we went, as fast as we could, to the other part of the house ; though Horace, in his confusion, held tight to the umbrella, until 1 absolutely took it out of his hand and put it under a seat. The orchestra began to play, and the audience to whisper, and fans to flutter, and I allowed Horace to touch my toe with his, and it was as like Paradise as earth could be. But, alas! earthly bliss is ever fleeting. Signora Screechorina had just begun that lovely thing from the Bandit’s Bride, which the libretto translates : Eomicbooks (Ele) m