"Then that cussed telegraph stops right off.
"'Wire trouble at New Orleans,' says the operator.
"I sure hopes I never spends no more half-hours like I does then
waitin' fur the New Awlins message. I thinks every minute ole man
Johnson's goin' to croak if it don't come soon. In about ten years the
telegraph begins to work again.
"'The result at New Orle-e-ens!' sings the operator. 'Te-e-ea Kettle
wins by five lengths! Eldo--'
"But ole man Johnson lets out such a whoop I don't hear who finishes
second 'n' third.
"I hustles up to the chicken's room when I'm back to the hotel. The
transom's open when I gets to the door 'n' I hears a guy talkin'.
"'Don't misunderstand me,' he's savin'. 'You know perfectly the
money's nothing to me, but why should I cut my own throat? If you'll
go West instead of East, everything I have is yours!'
"'I don't misunderstand you,' says the chicken's voice. 'I have you
sized up to a dot. I've met hundreds like _you_!'
"I knocks on the door.
"'Come,' says the chicken, 'n' I walks in. She's standin' with the
table between her 'n' a swell-lookin' guy.
"'Mr. Chandler,' she says. 'Let me introduce you to my brother.'
"'How do you do?' says the swell guy. 'You have a charming sister.'
"'She's a great kid,' I says.
"'You don't look much alike,' says the swell guy.
"'She's not my full sister,' I says. 'Our mothers weren't the same.'
"The chicken coughs a couple of times.
"'That explains it,' says the swell guy.
Pages:
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106