Of course he begged and beseeched to build it 193 on Coney Island. Sez he, “I wouldn’t begrech the money but spend it lavish, if the house sot there. I could go there and spend months and months of perfect bliss, and learn more there in one day than I could in years in Jonesville.”
“Where would you build it?” sez I in frosty axents.
“Well, the top of one of them tall mountains in Luna Park Serenus tells on would be a good spot, near the beautiful waterfall where the boats full of happy Hilariors dash down the steep declivity and bound way off onto the water and sail away. The view would be so lively and inspirin’, it would be equal to havin’ a brass band in your bedroom.”
“Yes, jest about like that,” sez I. “Do you know what them mountains are made of? They’re jest about as solid as your idees.”
“Well, I might build it on the other side of Surf Avenue, nigh that long line of dashin’ horses Serenus depicters, that go racin’ and cavortin’ round and round, bearin’ the gay and happy Hilariors on their backs.”
“How much do you spoze a lot would cost there, Josiah, if you wuz ravin’ crazy enough to want it? All the property in Jonesville 194 wouldn’t buy a spot big as a table cloth, and I d’no as it would a towel.”
“Well,” sez he real sulky, “I can let my mind dwell on it, can’t I? That is some comfort.”
“I wouldn’t think on’t too much, you don’t want to tire your mind, it hain’t over strong, you know.”
It beats all how sometimes when you are doin’ your very best for your pardners, they don’t like it. He acted huffy.
But at last it wuz settled, Tirzah Ann’s cottage wuz to be begun the minute they left, it wuz to be kep secret from ’em, and we wuz to have a surprize party there, to welcome ’em home. Well, from the very day it wuz settled begun my trials with Josiah Allen about the plan. My idee wuz to employ a first rate architect, but he sez: