out.

The doctor, he takes some glasses out'n his pocket and puts 'em on, and
he fetches a long look at her. Then he opens his mouth like he was going
to say something, and shuts it agin like his feelings won't let him. He
puts his arm across Hank's shoulder affectionate and sad, and then he
turns his head away like they was some one dead in the fambly. Finally,
he says:

"I thought so. I saw it. I saw it in your eyes when I first drove up. I
hope," he says, very mournful, "I haven't come too late!"

Hank, he turns pale. I was getting sorry fur Hank myself. I seen now why
I licked him so easy. Any one could of told from that doctor's actions
Hank was as good as a dead man already. But Hank, he makes a big effort,
and he says:

"Shucks! I'm sixty-eight years old, doctor, and I hain't never had a
sick day in my life." But he was awful uneasy too.

The doctor, he says to the feller with him: "Looey, bring me one of the
sample size."

Looey brung it, the doctor never taking his eyes off'n Hank. He handed
it to Hank, and he says:

"A whiskey glass full three times a day, my friend, and there is a good
chance for even you. I give it to you, without money and without price."

"But what have I got?" asts Hank.

"You have spinal meningitis," says the doctor, never batting an eye.

"Will this here cure me?" says Hank.

"It'll cure ANYTHING," says the doctor.

Hank he says, "Shucks," agin, but he took the bottle and pulled the cork
out and smelt it, right thoughtful. And what them fellers had stopped
at our place fur was to have the shoe of the nigh hoss's off hind foot
nailed on, which it was most ready to drop off. Hank, he done it fur a
regulation, dollar-size bottle and they druv on into the village.

Right after supper I goes down town. They was in front of Smith's Palace
Hotel. They was jest starting up when I got there. Well, sir, that
doctor was a sight. He didn't have his duster onto him, but his
stove-pipe hat was, and one of them long Prince Alferd coats nearly to
his knees, and shiny shoes, but his vest was cut out holler fur to show
his biled shirt, and it was the pinkest shirt I ever see, and in the
middle of that they was a diamond as big as Uncle Pat Hickey's wen,
what was one of the town sights. No, sir; they never was a man with more
genuine fashionableness sticking out all over him than Doctor Kirby. He
jest fairly wallered in it.

I hadn't paid no pertic'ler attention to the other feller with h