The Grinder Papers — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

86 THE GRINDER PAPERS. Dumpling. Why, that’s the old bachelor that lives next door.” ba ‘Tt can’t be his,” says I. ‘Then whose is it?” says she, and I felt turning scarlet. What I should have said, I don’t know, but at that minute there came a ring at the bell, and somebody asked to see Miss Grinder. * It was the Dumpling’s hired girl, and she looked very red and discomfiscated. ‘‘Could I see you alone, miss?” says she. _ _‘*Certainly,” says I, and I took her up to my bedroom. Then she laid down a bundle she had, and says she: ‘“Mister James Dumpling says, ‘If you please, send him his’n.’” _ And I saw it was my cloak she’d brought along with her. I took up his coat and gin it to her. Says I: ‘‘T s’pose you know all about it?” | Then she burst out a laughin’. “Yes,” says she. ‘‘Missus found this in Mr. James’ room, and he had to tell, miss. They’re roarin’ about it over the breakfast this minute.” | After that, of course, there was no payin’ her not to mention it. And, indeed, she’d told the hull to our girl in the area an hour before. And the story got about, and I was grinned at in- doors, and grinned at out, until I was fairly sick on’t. . At last it got to be too bad to bear, and I packed up and went over to Brooklyn, where I have some connections,