“Starve to death!” she says. “On ten thousand a year!”
“Now here!” I says. “Who told you he got that trifle?”
“He did,” says the Wife.
“And how do you know he wasn’t overestimatin’?” I ast her.
“You mean how do I know he wasn’t lyin’?” she says.
“Yes,” says I.
“Because he’s a gentleman,” she says.
“And he told you that, too?” I ast.
“No,” she says. “I could tell that by lookin’ at him.”
“All right, Clara Voyant!” I says. “And maybe you can tell by lookin’ at me how much money he borrowed off’n me and never give back.”
“When? How much?” she says.
“One at a time, please,” says I. “The amount o’ the cash transaction was a twenty-dollar gold certificate. And the time he shook me down was the evenin’ he took us to hear Ada , and was supposed to be payin’ for it.”
“I can’t believe it,” says the Missus.
“All right,” I says. “When he brings Bessie home from the ball game tomorrow I’ll put it up to him right in front o’ you.”
“No! You mustn’t do that!” she says. “I won’t have him insulted.”
“You would have him insulted if I knowed how to go about it,” I says.
“You stayed over to Tim’s too long,” says the Wife.