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Bellamy, Edward, 1850-1898

"The Duke of Stockbridge"

"
Meshech was in the act of ducking his head in a bucket of water,
standing on a bench by the door, but at his wife's words he became
suddenly motionless as a statue, his nose close to the water. Then he
straightened sharply up and stared at her, the working of his eyes
showing that he was gathering up tangled skeins of recollection.
"Wal, I swow," he finally ejaculated, with an astonished drawl, "ef I
hadn't a furgut the hull dum performance, an here I wuz a gittin up an
goin to work jess ez if court hadn't been stopped. Gosh, Sally, I
guess I be my own man tidday, ef I hev got a bad tas in my mouth.
Gorry, it's lucky I thort afore I wet my hed. I couldn't a gone tew
sleep agin," and Meshech turned toward the bed, with apparent
intention of resuming his slumbers.
But Mrs. Little, though she knew there had been serious disturbances
the preceding day, could by no means bring her mind to believe that
the entire system of law and public authority had been thus suddenly
and completely overthrown, and she yet again adjured her husband, this
time by a more dreadful name, to betake himself to labor.
"Ef ye don' go to work, Meshech, Squire Woodbridge 'll hev ye in the
stocks fer gittin drunk.


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