That's why I'm trying to help you to tell the truth.
But I won't--in fact, I can't--go on helping you if you wander off on to side issues about ink-bottles and carpets." He waved his hand oratorically as he spoke, and tipped the ink-bottle off the arm of the chair.
"There," said the Major, "I knew you'd do that." "Never mind," said Meldon.

"I have a pencil in my pocket.

I'll work with it." The Major seized the blotting-paper from his writing-table and went down on his knees on the carpet.
"When you've finished making that mess worse than it is," said Meldon, "and covering your own fingers all over with ink in such a way that it will take days of careful rubbing with pumice-stone to get them clean, perhaps you'll go on telling me why you call this fellow Simpkins a meddlesome ass.

I was up early this morning, owing to the baby's being restless during the night.

Did I mention to you that she's got whooping-cough?
Well, she has, and it takes her in the form of a rapid succession of fits, beginning at 10 p.m.and lasting till eight the next morning.