are or net. 'A'a,' he sed, 'aw've missed it this time, for
aw mud ha browt her a heearin or some oonions for her supper, but it's
just like me, aw allus think o' thease things when it's too lat--aw must
ha been born a bit to lat; but what awm to do, or what awm to say when
aw get to owd Stooansnatche's aw connot tell. But fortune favors th'
brave,' an' aw have been lucky befoor, soa aw'll hooap to be lucky
agean.'

Joa wor fast lessenin th' distance between hissen an' th' haase whear
owd Stooansnatch lived, an' it worn't long befoor he stood peepin in at
th' winder. He couldn't see owt, for all wor as dark as a booit inside.
He then began tryin to mak up a speech, or frame some mak ov excuse for
comin, but he wor clean lick'd, for moor he tried, an' th' farther off
he seemed to get, an he began to think 'at if he went on studdyin mich
longer it ud end in him gooin back baght dooin owt, soa he screwed up
his pluck an' knocked at th' door. He could hear a mumblin an' scufflin
inside, an' somdy strike a match, an' in a bit he heeard somdy unlock
two or three locks, an' shooit five or six bolts, an' then th' door
oppened abaght two inch, an' a nooas 'at iverybody knew belang'd to owd
Stooansnatch bobbed aght.

'What does ta want at this time o'th' neet?' sed th' owd man.

'Nay, nowt particlar; but didn't yo give me hauf-a-craan amang that
copper this mornin, think yo? Aw shouldn't like to wrang onybody, an' aw
did get hauf-a-craan somewhere.'

Th' door oppened in a minit, an' Joa went in. He knew weel enuff 'at th'
hauf craan didn't belang to th' owd sinner, but he didn't care as he'd
getten in an' Bessy wor sittin bi th' side o'th' fire lukkin bonnier, he
thowt nor iver.

Owd Stooansnatch wor reckonin to caant up his brass, an' in a bit he
says,--'Tha'rt reight, Joa, lad, it's mine; awm just hauf-a-craan short,
soa tha can give it me.'

Joa hadn't heeard a word o' this speech, for his een wor fixed o' Bessy.
an' his maath wor oppen as if he wor gooin to swallow her. Bessy wor
blushin, an' seemed varry mich takken up wi' her toa 'at had popt throo
th' end ov her slipper.

'Does ta hear me?' he sed sharply, 'aw tell thi it's mine, an' tha mun
give it me, an' dooant stand starin thear! Gi me that brass, an' then
tak thisen off hooam! aw connot affooard to keep a cannel burnin this
rooad for nowt.'

'Why, thear's th' brass,' sed Joa, flinging it on to th' table. 'Aw
should think it owt to pay for a cannel or two.'