ecting for our mine, I was snowed up in a
pass. I reckon I've told you how I got typhoid fever and wrestled it
out all day by my lonesome; unparalleled thirst, Boston baked brains,
red flannel tongue, delirium dreamins, and self-acting emetic, down
to the final blissful "Where am I at?" and on through the nice long
convalescence till my limbs changed from twine strings to human members.
Six weeks doing time as doctor, patient, trained nurse and fellow-Mason
all in one, was being alone right smart. But it wasn't a patch on the
little metrolopis of Manhattan on Santy Claus day.

Then once I had a rather unrestful evening out in the western part
of Texas. A fellow sold me a horse right cheap, and later a crowd
of gentlemen accused me of stealing it, and I was put in jail with a
promise of being lynched before breakfast. That was being uncomfortable
some, too. But I wished last night that my friend, Judge Watson, hadn't
come along that night and identified me. It would have saved me from
New Yorkitis.

Then there was the night when I proposed for your hand and you sent me
to your pa, and he said if I ever come near again he'd sic the dogs on
me. I spent that night at a safe distance from the dogs, leaning on a
fence, and not noticing it was barb wire till I looked at my clothes and
my hide next day. I watched your windows till the light went out and all
my hope with it--and on after that till, as the poet says, till daylight
doth appear.

Then there's the time I told you about, when--but there's no use of
making a catalog of every time I've been lonesome. I have taken my pen
in hand to inform you that last night beat everything else on my private
list of troubles. My other lonely times was when I was alone, but the
lonesomest of all was in the heart of the biggest crowd on this here
continent.

[Illustration: HE SAID IF I EVER COME NEAR AGAIN HE'D SIC THE DOGS ON ME]

There was people a-plenty. But I didn't know one gol-darned galoot. I
had plenty of money, but nobody to spend it on--except tiptakers. I was
stopping at this big hotel with lugsury spread over everything, thicker
than sorghum on corn pone. But lonely--why, honey, I was so lonely that,
as I walked along the streets, I felt as if I'd like to break into some
of the homes and compel 'em at the point of my gun to let me set in and
dine with 'em.

I felt like asking one of the bell-boys to take me home and get his ma
to give me a slice of goose and let her t