n 'stud,
an' he looked as poor as a dhrayman. He's rayformed. Th' little
Dutchman that was ilicted to th' legislachure says he will stay home.
Says I, 'Why?' Says he, 'There's nawthin' in it.' He's rayformed. Th'
wather inspictor, that used to take a dhrink an' a seegar an' report
me two pipes less thin I have, turned me in las' week f'r a garden
hose an' a ploonge bath. He's rayformed. Th' wave iv rayform has
sthruck, an' we're all goin' around now with rubbers on.

"They've organized th' Ar-rchey Road Lexow Sodality, an' 'tis th' wan
institootion that Father Kelly up west iv th' bridge 'll duck his head
to. All th' best citizens is in it. Th' best citizens is thim that th'
statue iv limitations was made f'r. Barrister Hogan tol' me--an' a
dacint man, but give to dhrink--that, whin a man cud hide behind th'
statue iv limitations, he was all r-right. I niver seen it. Is that
th' wan on th' lake front? No, tubby sure, tubby sure. No wan 'd hide
behind that.

"Th' Ar-rchey Road Lexow Sodality is composed iv none but square men.
They all have th' coin, Jawn. A man that's broke can't be square. He's
got too much to do payin' taxes. If I had a million, divvle th' step
would I step to confession. I'd make th' soggarth come an' confess to
me. They say that th' sthreets iv Hivin was paved with goold. I'll bet
ye tin to wan that with all th' square men that goes there ivry year
they have ilecloth down now."

"Oh, go on," said Mr. McKenna.

"I was goin' to tell ye about th' Lexow Sodality. Well, th' chairman
iv it is Doherty, th' retired plumber. He sold me a house an' lot
wanst, an' skinned me out iv wan hundherd dollars. He got th' house
an' lot back an' a morgedge. But did ye iver notice th' scar on his
nose? I was r-rough in thim days. Ol' Mike Hogan is another mimber. Ye
know him. They say he hires constables be th' day f'r to serve five
days' notices. Manny's th' time I see th' little furniture out on th'
sthreet, an' th' good woman rockin' her baby under th' open sky.
Hogan's tinants. Ol' Dinnis Higgins is another wan. An' Brannigan, th'
real estate dealer. He was in th' assissors' office. May Gawd forgive
him! An' Clancy, that was bail-bondman at Twelfth Sthreet.

"They appointed comities, an' they held a meetin'. I wint there. So
did some iv th' others. 'Twas at Finucane's, an' th' hall was crowded.
All th' sodality made speeches. Doherty made a great wan. Th' air was
reekin' with corruption, says he. Th' polis foo