wot was purty neer dew.

   I told her I was sure Mr. Gilley would be orful sorry, wen he cum back and found she'd ben to see him, cos I'd hurd him say, he thot she was the purtist yung ladie, he knowd, n town, and of all wimmin, she was the one he'd hav, wen he got a wife.

   She sez, "Do tell, Georgie," and then she kissed and hugged me, all over, and asst me how long the edittur would be gone.

   I seen she was warntin to kno too much & wuldnt stan off wuth a cent. So I told her that Mr. Gilley wuldnt get back til nite, cos he was up to his turney's, arrangin bout gettin the big fortune wot his uncle, wot dide in Osstrailyer, had left to him.

   "The poor dare man," sez she; "didnt I alwus tell them yung snips of gurls at sewin circles that Mr. Gilley'd be welthy sum day, I guess they won't turn up their knoeses and call me a dride up old made, when Samanthy Longtung turns inter Samanthy Gilley. I alwus knowd I'd be married fore I got outer my teens, and to think my darlin Joe was too onherable and bashful to ask my hand fore he got his fortune. But I spose he was frade I wuldnt giv this poor hart, to a poor man, wen so menny welthy suters wus round," Then she hugged me agin, & told me to tell Mr. Gilley never to mind bout that quarter, cos she'd advance it outer her own pocket. Seein she was so orful kind, I told her all bout the fortune; how Mr. Gilley's uncle was sent out ter rustercate in Bottany Bey by the British Guvment, but the barmy breezes of the bey didnt agree with his constetushun, so he resined and took a boat for a nuther ileland, & wen he got there he borrud sum sheep from a farmer, & them sheep got marreed, & then there was a lot of littel sheep, wen they growd up and got married, and kep the ball rollin' even to the 3d & 4th generashun, wen the old man dide. And now Mr. Gilley was goin to hav them aucshunned off, & he thot he'd get bout half a millyun for em. Then I show'd her the plans of the Grammercy Park palace, wot the perlitical edittur is keepin for refrence, in case he's called on to boom Mr. Tilden for Preserdent, and told her them was the plans of the reserdense wot Mr. Gilley was goin to hav bilt to take his blushin bride too, after they got back from a Yuropeean hunney-moon. Then I maid her promis faithfully that she wouldnt tell a sole bout the fortune & manshun, cos the Edittur of the

    Buster

   was the maudestest man in New York city.

   The Jesuites used to say that "The 

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