coats. I'm lying there
on the bed, taking it all in, when up rides a dinky little officer on a
horse. He salutes me and I salute him, just to let them know that there
wasn't any hard feeling. Then he says, "I am glad to state that you have
but one life to lose for your country; therefore we are going to shoot
you." Well, you know me, Dearie. I jumped out of the window. The next
time I come out of it here is this guy doing snake charming stunts on my
stomach.'

"Can you beat that for a pipe? I look after this party with all the
loving care of a sister, and thanks to the doctor and a pump we pulled
him through. When he was able to be shipped home I went down to the
train to see him off and as he kissed me goodby he said, 'Don't you
worry, kid, I won't forget this.' I didn't pay any attention to his
chatter, thinking it nothing but balloon juice. But this letter says
that he died about a week ago and left ten thousand to me in such a way
that it won't do his wife no good to yelp. Ten thousand! Gee, ain't that
an awful huge lot of money for one poor little merry-merry to be
burdened with! The lawyers sent that first hundred along to show that
they are not pikers, and said that the rest would be along in a few
days. Gosh! I won't know what to do with it. I can't get that much in my
little lisle thread bank without spoiling the contour of that new gown
effect I am going to be poured into. Clothes, well I should hope so,
dear. When the true meaning of that effusion soaked into my system, the
way I grabbed my hat and took it on the run for the dressmaker's was a
caution to cab horses.

"I'm going to get a bunch of clothes and then slide for home. You know
my father was mayor of Emporia for nearly a whole term, and I can go
right back into society. That is a great burg; if anybody wears anything
but a Mother Hubbard on week days they are doped out as a actress. Sure!
That's the way they know that there's a show in town, that and the band.
That town will have nothing but the best. If a show isn't good enough to
hare a band it might as well cancel. It's a great show town, all right;
sometimes they have two shows there the same week, 'East Lynne' and
something else. The Boston Store has the 'Pilgrim's Progress' on the
recent fiction counter.

"Well, I must rush right along. I've got to go over to some place and
get a mile or two of those puff gags, mine are all moth eaten. I've got
some more things to buy and then I am going aro