human
Anything special to tell me this morning, Josiah? whispered the housekeeper as he entered.
gpt
How pale you look! Ain't been seeing ghosts, have you? You look like one yourself.
human
Maybe 'twas ghosts I see, but they looked purty tolerable real to me. Yes, Clemmie, I've sartin been looking on things what ain't good for a healthy man to see. One of 'em is that I'm a ruined man, and there ain't no help for it.
gpt
Don't talk such nonsense! Get out and fill your lungs with fresh air. That cures the blues quicker than anything I know.
human
It won't cure this fit. If it would, I'd had it cured long ago, 'cause that's all I've been doing for a good many weeks. If I'd talked less and done more I'd been a heap sight better off.
gpt
I thought from the way you was staying up there last night that you was doing something. I never heerd you come in at all.
human
Maybe I wa'n't up there all that time. The fact is, Clemmie, I went into the city last night.
gpt
You went into New York last night? What did you do that for?
human
I went in and pulled a lawyer friend of mine out of bed for a little confab. I don't mind telling you who it was. It was Harold Fox.... Clemmie, that feller that was here to see me about that mortgage lied to me about the date it was due. Harold says the time is up on it next Saturday.
gpt
Josiah!
human
I also talked with another friend of mine who knew Jim purty well in his palmy days, and he says what that letter of yours says is so. He told me a lot more stuff, too.
gpt
What? About Jim or Adoniah?
human
Both. What would you do if there wa'n't no way to save my place excepting by ruination of the other feller?
gpt
You'd see him stop for you, wouldn't you? I'd not give it a second thought, I'd just----
human
That ain't it, Clemmie. There's his darter, the sweetest little thing that God ever made. It would kill her, and I ain't got no right to hurt her just to save my own skin.
gpt
You're right, Josiah.
human
But what I'm to do, I don't know.