It wuz “Hold the Fort” he belched out in, with all the steam on. He had a way, Peter had, of bustin’ out loudest when he begun, and then kinder dwindle down towards the last of the piece. (But it wuz one of ’em on his side, and I didn’t murmur, not out loud, I didn’t.)
Wall, I knew what wuz before me at the first volley of sound. I sez to myself:
“Melinda Ann! Melinda Ann!” and hurried upstairs.
And there she wuz layin’ back on her piller with her eyes rolled up in her head and fixed, and her nuckels clenched.
Wall, I brung her to agin after a long and tejus process, and then agin I see that she sort o’ enjoyed it; and I left her propped up and went down and helped do up the work.
Wall, Peter never stopped playin’ till a late bedtime.
And then I might have slept some at first, only Josiah begun a noise where he left off, a scoldin’ and a jawin’.
And oh! my sufferin’s that I suffered with that man. I reminded him that Peter wuz a relation on his side—no avail.
I brung up his lonesome state.