me we
couldn't'a' had nothin' to do, day or night, 'fo' he come.

But, ez I was sayin', she was for meals at all hours, an' I was for the
twenty-minutes-for-refreshment plan, an' we discussed it consider'ble,
me always knowin', but never lettin' on, thet of co'se she, havin' what
you might call a molopoly on the restaurant, could easy have things her
own way, ef she'd choose.

But, sir, from the time he looked over that bill o' fare an' put his
finger on what he'd have, _an' when_, that boy ain't never failed to
call for it, an' get it, day 'r night.

But, talkin' 'bout the clock, it did seem funny for him to keep her
goin' 'thout no key.

But somehow he'd work it thet that alarm 'd go off in the dead hours o'
night, key or no key, an' her an' me we'd jump out o' bed like ez ef we
was shot; and do you b'lieve thet that baby, not able to talk, an'
havin' on'y half 'is teeth, he ain't never failed to wake up an' roa'
out a-laughin' ever' time that clock 'd go off in the night!

Why, sir, it's worked on me so, sometimes, thet I've broke out in a col'
sweat, an' set up the balance o' the night--an' I ain't to say
high-strung, neither.

No, sir, we ain't never named 'im yet. Somehow, we don't seem to be able
to confine ourselves to no three or four names for 'im, for so we thess
decided to let it run along so--he thess goin' by the name o' "Sonny"
tell sech a time ez he sees fit to name 'isself.

Of co'se I sort o' ca'culate on him takin' the "Junior," an' lettin' me
tack a capital "S" an' a little "r" to my name 'fo' I die; which would
nachelly call attention to him _di_rec' eve'y time I'd sign my
signature.

Deuteronomy Jones ain't to say a purty name, maybe; but it's
scriptu'al--so far ez my parents could make it. Of co'se the
Jones--well, they couldn't help that no mo' 'n I can help it, or Sonny,
_or his junior_, thet, of co'se, may never be called on to appear in the
flesh, Sonny not bein' quite thoo with his stomach-teeth yet, an' bein'
subject to croup, both of which has snapped off many a fam'ly tree fore
to-day. But I reckon the Joneses ain't suffered much that a-way. I doubt
ef any of 'em has ever left 'thout passin' the name on--not knowin'
positive, but thess _jedgin'_. None o' mine ain't, I _know_, leastwise
none of my _di_rec' ancestors--they couldn't have, an' me here, an'
Sonny.

_Don't_ jump, doctor! That's the supper-bell. 'Tis purty loud, but
that's on account o' my mother-in-law. She's stone-