Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabeFord, Sewell
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Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabe
Ford, Sewell
Humorous stories, American; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
"He's all in, sure enough," says I; "but I can't have him sawin' wood
here. Come, come, old scout," I hollers in his ear, "you'll have to camp
somewhere else for this act!" I might as well have shouted into the safe,
though. He never stirs.
"The thing to do," says Tutwater, "is to discover his name, if we can,
and then communicate with his friends or family."
"Maybe you're right, Tutwater," says I. "And there's a bunch of letters
in his inside pocket. Have a look."
"They all seem to be addressed to J. T. Fargo, Esq.," says Tutwater.
"What!" says I. "Say, you don't suppose our sleepin' friend here is old
Jerry Fargo, do you? Look at the tailor's label inside the pocket. Eh?
Jeremiah T. Fargo! Well, say, Tutty, that wa'n't such an idle dream of
his, about givin' me the garden. Guess he could if he wanted to. Why,
this old party owns more business blocks in this town than anybody I know
of except the Astors. And I was for havin' him carted off to the station!
Lemme see that 'phone directory."
A minute more and I had the Fargo house on the wire.
"Who are you?" says I. "Oh, Mr. Fargo's butler. Well, this is Shorty
McCabe, and I want to talk to some of the fam'ly about the old man. Sure,
old Jerry. He's here. Eh, his sister? She'll do. Yes, I'll hold the
wire."
I'd heard of that old maid sister of his, and how she was a queer old
girl; but I didn't have any idea what a cold blooded proposition she was.
Honest, she seemed put out and pettish because I'd called her up.
"Jeremiah again, hey?" she squeaks. "Now, why on earth don't he stay in
that sanatorium where I took him? This is the fourth time he's gone
wandering off, and I've been sent for to hunt him up. You just tell him
to trot back to it, that's all."
"But see here, Miss Fargo," says I, "he's been trottin' around until you
can't tell him anything! He's snoozin' away here in my office, dead to
the world."
"Well, I can't help it," says she. "I'm not going to be bothered with
Jeremiah to-day. I've got two sick cats to attend to."
"Cats!" says I. "Say, what do you----"
"Oh, hush up!" says she. "Do anything you like with him!" And hanged if
she don't bang up the receiver at that, and leave me standin' there at my
end of the wire lookin' silly.
"Talk about your freak plutes," says I to Tutwater, after I've explained
the situation, "if this ain't the limit! Look what I've got on my hands
now!"
Tutwater, he's standin' there gazin' hard at old Jerry Fargo, his eyes
shinin' and his thought works goin' at high pressure speed. All of a
sudden he slaps me on the back and grips me by the hand. "Professor,"
says he, "I have it! There is Opportunity!"
"Eh?" says I. "Old Jerry? How?"
"I shall cure him--restore his mind, make him normal," says Tutwater.
"What do you know about brushin' out batty lofts?" says I.
"Nothing at all," says he; "but I can find someone who does. You'll give
me Fargo, won't you?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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