"You lay your hands on me," he says, "and I'll have you up for assault
and battery. I'll show every mark in open court."
"I'm going to mark you," I said, "where you won't show them in any open
court."
And I did. "And that's only the beginning," I said; but about then he
agreed to call in Wheezer and Scoot; and, for instructing us to comport
ourselves with dignity before the high court, we thought five hundred
was about right, and after another little chat he agreed it was. We
gave William T. the same for what he'd done, and he stayed drunk for a
week at the Blue Light, which is what we reckoned he would do. But he
was his own boss ashore.
Before I was fairly home the wife rushes me over to the little house
she'd the option on. Being only two blocks south of the boulevard
didn't make any hit with me, for the next thing I could see where she'd
be breaking into society. But when I see the baby that I'd left
kicking his legs in a baby-carriage--when I see him sprinting around
the sun-parlor on his own feet, I begin to see the beauty of
sun-parlors. "Take it," I said.
She certainly was tickled. "I always knew," she said, before I had
time to say another word, "that all you needed was to apply yourself
steadily to make your fortune."
Well, she's a great little woman, and what's the good of hurrying up to
break illusions? I waited all of two hours before I told her how I
made the price of the house.