From Harry Stephen Keeler's THE CASE OF THE WOODEN SPECTACLES

"O-kay!" replied the other, manifestly a bit irritated at Silas Moffit's peremptoriness. Adding, a bit defiantly—or seemingly so: "And I'm Fred Mullins—for many years the Judge's court clerk. But now acting as his man, here at the house. And"—he set the two chairs down in the great hallway—"just arranging," he explained curtly, "the big drawing-room for a trial—the Judge, you see, is going to hold special court here to-night because—but I'll take you up, Mr. Moffit, and—however," he broke off again, "maybe you'd just as soon go up by yourself—since you've been here before? For we've no maid or anything here; just Judge and I live here alone, you know, and——"