Ain' that baout so, Zeke?"
"Well," said Perez, "if you won't take these, I can't pay you at all."
"Well" said Bement crossly, "thar's the beans an mug o' flip. Call it
a thousand dollars, an fork over, but by gosh, I don' git caught that
way again. It's downright robbery, that's wot it is. I say ain't ye
got no cleaner bills nor these?"
"Perhaps these are cleaner," said Perez, handing him another lot.
"What odds does it make?"
"Wal, ye see, ef they be middlin clean, I kin keep kaounts on the
backs on em, and Marthy finds em handy wen she writes to her folks
daown tew Springfield. Tain't fuss class writin paper, but it's
cheaper'n other kinds, an that's suthin in these times."
Having satisfied the landlord's requirements, as well as possible,
Perez walked to the door and stood looking out. The ell containing the
jail, coming under his eye, he turned and said, "You spoke of several
hundred debtors coming before the court next week. It don't look as if
you could get over fifty in here."
"Oh ye can jam in a hundred. I've got nigh that naow, and thay's other
lockups in the caounty," replied the landlord. "But ef they wuz a
gonter try to shet up all the debtors, they'd hev tew build a half a
dozen new jails.
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