himself.  There is a pretty girl in the front row
               left, and he takes a good look at her, smiles, frowns
               at her escort.  He motions the police to leave him and
               take their places with the spectators and he then raps
               vigorously with his gavel for order.

Judge
Hear!  Hear!  Court is set!  My honor is on de bench.  You moufy folks set
up! 
                             (He glares at the boy with the pretty girl)
All right, Mr. Whistle-britches, just keep up dat jawing now and see
how much time I’ll give you!

Boy
I wasn’t talking, your honor.

Judge
Well, quit looking so moufy.
                             (to clerk)
Call de first case.  And I warn each and all dat my honor is in bad
humor dis mawnin’.  I’d give a canary bird twenty years for peckin’
at a elephant.
                             (to clerk)
Bring ’em on.

Clerk
                             (Reading)
Cliff Mullins, charged with assault upon his wife with a weapon and
disturbing the peace. 
                             (As Cliff is led to the bar by the
                             officer, the Judge glares ferociously
                             at the prisoner.  His wife, all
                             bandages, limps up to the bar at the
                             same time.)

Judge So youse one of dese hard-boiled wife-beaters, huh?  Just a mean old woman-Jessie!  If I don’t lay a hearing on you, God’s a gopher!  Now what made you cut such a caper?

Cliff
Judge, I didn’t go hunt her.  Saturday night I was down on Dearborn
Street in a nasty ditch [Handwritten:  nasty ditch crossed out in
pencil, (buffet flat)]—­

Judge
A nasty ditch? [Handwritten:  A nasty ditch crossed out in pencil,
(Buffet flat)]

Cliff
Aw, at Emma Hayles’ house.

Judge
Oh, yes.  Go on.

Cliff
Well,
                             (Points thumb at wife)
she come down dere and claim I took her money and she claimed I wuz
spending it on Emma.

Cliff’s wife
And dat’s just whut he was doing, too, Judge.

Cliff
Aw, she’s tellin’ a great big ole Georgia lie, Judge.  I wasn’t spendin’
no money of her’n.

Woman Yes he was, Judge.  There wasn’t no money for him to git but mine.  He ain’t hit a lick of work since God been to Macon.  Know whut he ’lowed when I worry him ‘bout workin’?  Says he wouldn’t take a job wid de Careless Love Lumber Company, puttin’ out whut make you do me lak you do, do, do.

Judge
So, you goes for a sweet-back, do you?

Cliff
Naw suh, Judge.  I’d be glad to work if I could find a job.