Page 166

By Jack Joseph Smith

165 She was playing gamess acting like a cunt and calling me a highschool kids So now you've slapped hers Is she hyrt? "ho gives a shits the stupid bitch? Beaver was on one of the tables doing the Irish jigy with mush encouragement in the form of handclapping and singing coming from the floors The cook was shouting that she had called the cops; it was all on its way againg O'Dandy was giggling and stuffing his yellow yokes into his, he he he ing, mouth, and I was sitting there wondering about the seconds, Just then a cop came through the door, bigger than shit, . as they say, and walked directly up to O'Dandy, as Beaver scurried off the tables Everyone started to leave, and it was to much time gone by, when the three-of us were the only ones left in the restraunt, Five or six cops had formed a gauntlet outside the door and the music makers were huddled together passing through them, on their way to there automobiles’ Okey O'Dandy, the cop said; "no slapped the girl I'm busy eating eggss Let's go he said, putting his hand on O'Dandy's arm, Hey just wait a minutes for Christ's sake, I'm eating my eggss This takes alot of gaul; I think you better talk to my buddy Murphys Okey Myrphy3' Did you hit the girl? Yeatiy I nit here Let's gos You bastard Dandy,’ said Murphys You know I can't be bothered with that kind of bull shit Murphy, when I'm eating my egess The cop put the hand cuffs on Murphy, and walked him out the door and through, the

Original Scan

Page 166

AI Interpretation

GPT

While Murphy is cuffed and taken out, O'Dandy keeps eating his eggs, stalls for time, and then steps into another half-joking, half-calculated plan as the narrator realizes the police are waiting for the rest of them too.

O'Dandy's calm over breakfast turns the arrest into a performance of contempt, which is funny on the surface but also reckless and manipulative. The page works by contrast: Murphy is removed physically while Dandy tries to keep control socially.

Claude

Beaver dances the Irish jig on a table, the cook calls the cops, and a single officer walks in and takes Murphy after Dandy refuses to be bothered while eating his eggs — the restaurant-as-stage gag running through to arrest.