e told the King, senior, if he was ever in
Washington to be sure and look him up, or to not to fail to let him know
if he was ever in Washington, or that the latch-string was always out at
the White House, or any one of the hundreds of things that ordinarily
the most inhospitable person in the world is perfectly safe in saying
without any one taking him up on it."

"Well, that's where Mr. Wilson made a big mistake, Mawruss," Abe said,
"because evidently this here King, junior, couldn't take a joke,
y'understand; which, the way it looks now, Mawruss, even if Mr. Wilson
had said, 'I hope to see you again sometime,' he would of immediately
taken out of his vest pocket such a little book which you put
memorandums in it and said how about August 30, 1919, or would
September 10th suit Mr. Wilson better, and that's the way it would of
went."

"Anyhow, that's neither here nor there, Abe," Morris said, "because, no
matter how many times nowadays Mrs. Wilson is going to ask Mr. Wilson
why he couldn't of said good-by, King, and let it go at that, because
such people, if you give them the least little encouragement, they would
use you like you was running a boarding-house already, understand me, it
ain't going to improve matters for Mr. Wilson when the young feller does
arrive."

"Say!" Abe exclaimed. "It wouldn't do that King, junior, no harm to
rough it a little there at the White House, Mawruss."

"What do you mean--rough it?" Morris demanded. "Don't you suppose the
President of the United States eats just so good in his own home as the
King of England does in his, Abe? It would be the least of Mr. Wilson's
worries if the young feller would expect chicken _a la_ king and fillet
of kingfish for breakfast, dinner, and supper already, but when it comes
to making up a list of the guests which would be invited to meet this
here King of England, junior, that is where Mr. Wilson is wise he would
get himself run over by a trolley-car or something, and sustain enough
injuries to keep him confined to his bed from a few days before the
young feller arrives until the morning after the British ambassador
successfully slips it to the young feller that the people in Washington
is beginning to wonder if a king of England 'ain't got no home,
y'understand."

"But why couldn't Mr. Wilson give one big dinner for the King, junior,
to which he would invite the Senate and House of Representatives in a
body, and have the whole thing over at one _