y bass voice. His trouble
was lumbago or pleurisy or some misery that kept him every minute in
this pernickety state.

That was all old mother Vida needed to know. She rustled a couple
hot-water bags and kept 'em on the ribs of this grouch for about two
thousand miles, to say nothing of doping him with asperin and quinine
and camphor and menthol and hot tea and soothing words. He was the only
son in sight, so he got it good. She simply has to mother something.

The grouch got a little human himself the last day out and begun to
ask Vida questions about herself. Being one that will tell any person
anything at all, she told him her life history and how her plans was now
unsettled, but she hoped to make a home out on this coast. The grouch
come right out and asked her how big her roll was, saying he lived out
here and it cost something to make a home. Vida told him she had her two
years' savings of three hundred and eighty good dollars and that I had
promised to loan her a few dollars to piece out with. At this the old boy
looked me over carefully and could see no signs of vast wealth because I
never wear such in Pullman cars, so he warns her that I'll have to piece
out her savings with a few thousand instead of a few dollars if she's to
start anything worth keeping, because what they do to you in taxes down
there is a-plenty.

After which he goes to sleep.

Vida moves over and asks what I meant by saying I'd only have to put in a
few dollars when I must of known it would take a few thousand, and didn't
I realize that Clyde would be hurt to the quick if he come back and found
she hadn't been independent? She indignantly said she'd have to give up
the country place and work till she had enough to start another home for
paying guests.

I was so mad at this truthful grouch for butting in on my game that
I up and told her flat she could never run a boarding house and make
it pay; that no woman could who hadn't learned to say "No!" and she was
too much of a mush-head for that. She was quite offended by this and says
firmness has always been considered a strong point in her personality. A
first-class palmist had told her this only two weeks before. While we are
squabbling back and forth the grouch wakes up again and says that he's in
the moving-picture business and will give her a good job in the wardrobe
department of the company he's with, so she must show up there at eight
o'clock the next morning. Just like that! He did