GRITNY PEOPLE GRITNY PEOPLE R. EMMET KENNEDY _Design & Decoration by Edward Larocque Tinker_ [Illustration] DODD MEAD & COMPANY NEW YORK 1927 COPYRIGHT, 1927 BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC. PRINTED IN U. S. A. MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE VAIL-BALLOU PRESS, INC., BINGHAMTON, N. Y. “_At night was come into that hostelrie_ _Wel nyne and twenty in a companye,_ _Of sondry folk, by adventure i-falle_ _In felawschipe...._ _Me thinketh it acordant to resoun,_ _To telle yow alle the condicioun_ _Of eche of hem, so as it seemed me,_ _And which they weren, and of what degre._” —PROLOGUE TO CANTERBURY TALES. HIST’RIES AUNT SUSAN SMILEY 1 TOM AND BELL 5 THE INTERPRISE 9 SCILLA 11 FELO AND NOOKIE 16 UNCLE FOTEEN 23 PLUNKUM 28 UNCLE NAT 31 ROVING ROXY 34 CARMELITE, SOONGY AND DINK 38 DINK’S MUSIC 47 GUSSIE FISKY 53 MAGGIE HUTSON 55 LIZZIE AND CHESTER 61 SCANDALIZIN’ 76 LETHE AND AUNT AMY 81 FELO’S WHITE FOLKS 88 UPSETMENT 91 FELO AND LETHE 106 ’CROSS THE PASTURE 113 TEMPE 124 SPERRET NOISES 133 SCILLA’S DISCOVERY 138 CARMELITE AND AUNT FISKY 144 DINK AT HOME 156 GUSSIE AND MR. HOOBLITZ 165 CARMELITE’S RAFFLE 174 THE SWITCH ENGINE 193 NEWS FROM GRITNY 201 HOUSEKEEPING 205 GUSSIE’S WAKE 216 TO FURREN PARTS 221 BUZZUM FRIENDS 237 [Illustration] To be looked upon as a favored “member” of Aunt Susan Smiley’s cook shop, all the requisites one need have were the ability to appreciate her gumbo and sweet potato pies, coupled with a talent for telling a good story.