Fact on't is,' he says, 'it don't make a cent's wuth o' diff'rence to me person'ly which way the dum'd road comes in, an' I don't jest this minute see why I should spend any money in it.' "'There's the _princ'ple_ o' the thing,' I says.
"'Yes,' he says, gettin' out of his chair, 'of course, there's the princ'ple of the thing, an'-- wa'al, I'll think it over an' see you agin,' he says, lookin' at his watch.

'I got to go now.' "Wa'al, the next night," proceeded Mr.Harum, "I went down to the hotel agin, an' the' was about the same crowd, but no Staples.

The' wa'n't much goin' on, an' Purse, in pertic'ler, was lookin' putty down in the mouth.

'Where's Staples ?' I says.
"'Wa'al,' says Purse, 'he said mebbe he'd come to-night, an' mebbe he couldn't.

Said it wouldn't make much diff'rence; an' anyhow he was goin' out o' town up to Syrchester fer a few days.