Part 25 (1/2)
”Everythin', me bye, everythin' You're twenty-two and don't knohat a kid is! Well, if it don't beat raw eggs, I don't knohat does Green?
Well, sir, it would be hard to find an adequate analogy to your inconsistent immaturity of mind; aye, sir, I may well say, of soul, except to coreen corn in the early summer moon You knohat 'moon' is, don't you?” he asks, abruptly, with an evident effort to suppress a s impatient of his continuous avoidance of a direct answer
Yet I cannot find it in ry with him; the face expressive of a deep-felt conviction of universal wisdom, the eyes of hu tralish, all disarm my irritation Besides, his droll chatter helps to while away the tedious hours at work; perhaps I lean fro my plans of escape
”Well, d'ye know a ly
”I suppose I do”
”I'll bet you er you don't Sir, I can see by the tip of your olfactory organ that you are steeped in the slough of densest ignorance concerning the suprey Yes, sir, do not contradictmy undoubted and proven perspicacity of human nature How's that for classic style, eh?
That'll hold you down a moment, kid As I was about to say when you interrupted--eh, what? You didn't? Oh, what's the ant flight of nificant interpolation of mere fact None of your lip, now, boy, an' ley before your wondering gaze To begin with, sir, y is an exclusively aristocratic science Not for the pretenders of Broad Street and Fifth Avenue Nixie But for the only genuine aristocracy of de road, sir, for the pink of human, me lad, for yours truly and his clan Yes, sirree!”
”I don't knohat you are talking about”
”I know you don't That's why I'lish, sir, I shall endeavor to generate within your postliminious comprehension a discri uity
Moonology, my Marktwainian Innocent, is the truly Christian science of loving your neighbor, provided he be a nice little boy Understand now?”
”How can you love a boy?”
”Are you really so dumb? You are not a ref boy, I can see that”
”Red, if you'd drop your stilted language and talk plainly, I'd understand better”
”Thought you liked the classic But you ain't long on lingo neither How can a self-respecting gentleman explain himself to you? But I'll try
You love a boy as you love the poet-sung heifer, see? Ever read Billy Shakespeare? Know the place, 'He's neither man nor woman; he's punk'
Well, Billy knew A punk's a boy that'll”
”What!”
”Yes, sir Give himself to a man Noe'se talkin' plain Savvy now, Innocent Abroad?”
”I don't believe what you are telling me, Red”
”You don't be-lie-ve? What th' devil--damn me soul t' hell, what d' you mean, you don't b'lieve? Gee, look out!”
The look of bewilderment on his face startles me In his excite the attention of the guard, who is now hastening toward us
”Who's talkin' here?” he de the knitters
”You, Davis?”
”No, sir”
”Who was, then?”