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Last night, when she'd got on her coat and hat
And felt her dress behind and then her hair,
To see if everything was all right there,
She stopped and said: "Well, now just look at that!"
And then put out one foot a little bit,
And says: "Ain't that provokin'? I declare,
The string's untied!" She put it on a chair,
A-motionin' for me to fasten it.

So then that long-legged clerk he pushed me back
And grabbed the shoe-strings that were hangin' down—
I wish I was the strongest man in town—
Oh, wouldn't I of let him have a whack!
And I'd of kicked him so blamed hard I'll bet
He'd wonder what he might come down on yet.

 

XXI.

 

My darling, often when you set and think Of things that seem to kind of bother you, You put your pencil in your mouth and chew Around the wood, and let your sweet teeth sink Down in it till it's all marked up and split, And yesterday I seen you when you threw A stub away that you'd bit up; it flew Behind the bookcase, where I gobbled it. I put it in my mouth, the way you'd done, And I could feel the little holes you made— The places where your teeth sunk in—I laid My tongue tight up against them, every one, And shut my eyes, and then you seemed to be There with your lips on mine and kissin' me.

 

XXII.

 

When I was tellin' ma, two days ago, About our beautiful typewriter girl She dropped the dough and give a sudden whirl And said: "She's twic't as old as you, you know— She must be twenty-five or six or so. Don't think about her any more, my dear, And you and me'll be always happy here— Besides, she's nothing but an old scarecrow." It made me sad to hear her talk that way; My darling's just a little girl almost— I can't see why ma give her such a roast, And I could hardly eat my lunch next day, For every time I took a bite of bread I almost hated ma for what she said.

 

XXIII.

 

The other day a rusty pen got stuck Away deep in her finger, and she held Her poor, dear little hand up then and yelled For me to hurry over there and suck The poison out, and when I went I struck My toe against the old man's cuspidor And rolled about eight feet along the floor Before I knew what happened, blame