This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ...but I'm tellin' you she do n' know yet what 'at letteh's about. I'm done 'ith 'at lady. She mus' n' come neah me no mo'. I jus' hope huh an' 'at Gawge Lippincott gets mah'ied, 'cuz I can see him out stealin' coal right now. 'At Gawge Lippincott wants to keep in nights, too, misteh. Ev'y night he wants to lock 'e dooh an' go to bed, 'cuz I tell you he ain't safe. If he eveh gets on 'e same street 'ith me, I'm li'ble to cloud up an' rain on him. Yes, seh, people be pickin' up dahk meat all oveh 'e South Side." "Well, well, you are warlike this morning. "He's 'e one 'at done it, misteh. He tol' huh ev'ything he knows 'bout me. Yes, seh, he's been knockin' good an' plenty, an' if he ain't caihful I 'll fly down an' bite a piece out o' him. When I get th'ough 'ith him, people come up an' say, 'My goodness, 'at ain't Gawge Lippincott, ' an' 'en 'ey all go to lookin' faw his face." "Well, I hope it will not be as serious as that," said the morning customer. "What's the matter? Did n't the girl answer the letter?" "Yes, seh, misteh; she sent answeh, an' she did n' do thing to Misteh William Pinckney Mahsh, neetheh. W'y, misteh, I could read Gawge Lippincott in 'at letteh jus' same as if his pickchah on it. Yes, seh, misteh, 'ey 'll be a fune'al on Ahmoh Av'nue, an' ol' Gawge Lippincott won't heah no music. 'At's right, seh. I'm a man among men, an' when any punkincullud houn' goes suhculatin' 'roun' spoilin' my cha'cteh, his friends want to begin speakin' faw caih'ages right away, 'cuz 'ey got to make a trip to 'at graveyahd, suah." "What did she say in the letter?" Pink turned around to see if the white barbers were watching him, and then he drew a crumpled envelope from his hip pocket and passed...