[Dark Saint Alaick]

"It do, Pink, or eleben times three, jes' which you please. Now here's my count, on which
you'll see, Pink, that not nary cent have I charged for infloonce. I has infloonced a
consider'ble custom to this house, as you know, bo'din' and transion. But I done that out
o' my respects of you an' Missis Fluker, an' your keepin' of a fa'r--I'll say, as I've said
freckwent, a very fa'r house. I let them infloonces go to friendship, ef you'll take it so.
Will you, Pink Fluker?"

"Cert'nly, Matt, an' I'm a thousand times obleeged to you, an'--"

"Say no more, Pink, on that p'int o' view. Ef I like a man, I know how to treat him. Now
as to the p'ints o' absentees, my business as dep'ty sheriff has took me away from this
inconsider'ble town freckwent, hain't it?"

"It have, Matt, er somethin' else, more'n I were a expectin', an'--"

"Jes' so. But a public officer, Pink, when jooty call on him to go, he got to go; in fack he
got to goth, as the Scripture say, ain't that so?"

"I s'pose so, Matt, by good rights, a--a official speakin'."

Mr. Fluker felt that he was becoming a little confused.

"Jes' so. Now, Pink, I were to have credics for my absentees 'cordin' to transion an'
single-meal bo'ders an' sleepers; ain't that so?"

"I--I--somethin' o' that sort, Matt," he answered vaguely.