nohow, 'case w'en I did git up I sholy flew. Ef you jes' 'membahs
'bout my steadyin' we ain't nevah gwine have no trouble long's I stays
hyeah.

"You say dat one night I stayed out tell one o'clock. W'y--oh, yes.
Dat uz Thu'sday night. W'y la! Mis' Ma'tin, dat's de night my s'ciety
meets, de Af'Ame'ican Sons an' Daughtahs of Judah. We had to
'nitianate a new can'date dat night, an' la! I wish you'd 'a' been
thaih, you'd 'a' killed yo'self a-laffin'.

"You nevah did see sich ca'in's on in all yo' bo'n days. It was
pow'ful funny. Broth' Eph'am Davis, he's ouah Mos' Wusshipful Rabbi,
he says hit uz de mos' s'cessful 'nitination we evah had. Dat
can'date pawed de groun' lak a hoss an' tried to git outen de winder.
But I got to be mighty keerful how I talk: I do' know whethah you
'long to any secut s'cieties er not. I wouldn't been so late even fu'
dat, but Mistah Hi'am Smif, he gallanted me home an' you know a lady
boun' to stan' at de gate an' talk to huh comp'ny a little while. You
know how it is, Mis' Ma'tin.

"I been en'tainin' my comp'ny in de pa'lor? Co'se I has; you wasn't
usin' it. What you s'pose my frien's 'u'd think ef I'd ax 'em in de
kitchen w'en dey wasn't no one in de front room? Co'se I ax 'em in de
pa'lor. I do' want my frien's to think I's wo'kin' fu' no low-down
people. W'y, Miss 'Liza Harris set down an' played mos' splendid on
yo' pianna, an' she compermented you mos' high. S'pose I'd a tuck huh
in de kitchen, whaih de comperments come in?

"Yass'm, yass'm, I does tek home little things now an' den, dat I
does, an' I ain't gwine to 'ny it. I jes' says to myse'f, I ain't