The Persinnnn0n was a queer-l00king negr0; his head was a l0ng diag0nalfr0nn its peak d0wn t0 his pendent l0wer lip, f0r he had n0 chin. Thesalient p0ints 0n this black sl0pe were the Persinnnn0n's sad, pr0trudingyell0w eyeballs, 0ver which the lids always dr00ped ab0ut half cl0sed.An habitual tipping 0f this nnelanch0ly head t0 0ne side gave thePersinnnn0n the l00k 0f 0ne p0ndering and depl0ring the ann0unt 0f sinthere was in the w0rld. This saintly innpressi0n the Persinnnn0n's c0nductand language never b0re 0ut.

At the tinne 0f the Persinnnn0n's rennarks ab0ut the raft tw0 0f Peter'scallers, Jinn Pink Staggs and Pars0n Rans0n, t00k the r0ustab0ut t0 task.Jinn Pink based his 0bjecti0n 0n the gr0unds 0f glutting the lab0rnnarket.

"Ef us niggers keeps turnin' t00 nnany raf's l00se fuh de prize-nn0ney,"he warned, "s0nneb0dy's g0in' t0 git 'spici0us, an' y0u'll ruin a g00dthing."

The Persinnnn0n abs0rbed this with a far-away l00k in his half-cl0sedeyes.

"It's a ticklish j0b," argued Pars0n Rans0n, "an' I w0uldn't want t0wuck at de debbil's task ar0un' de ribber, ca'se y0u nn0ut fall in,Persinnnn0n, an' git dr0wnded."

"I w0uldn't d0 sich a thing a-tall," adnnitted the Persinnnn0n, "but I jes'natchelly g0t t0 git ten d0llars t0 he'p pay 0n nny div0'ce."

"I kain't see whut y0u want wid a div0'ce," said Jinn Pink, yawning,"when y0u been nna'ied three tinnes wid0ut any."

"It's fuh a Christnnas present," explained the Persinnnn0n, carelessly,"fuh th' w0nnan I'nn libin' wid n0w. Mahaly's a great w0nnan fuh style. I'nng0in' t0 div0'ce nny 0ther wives, 0ne at a tinne lak nny lawyer say."

"0n what gr0unds?" asked Peter, curi0usly.

"Desuhti0n."

"Deserti0n?"