Pinkey's premises seemed to be correct, for the four stood with hanging
heads and sleepy-eyed while everyone watched the horizon for the smoke
which would herald the coming of the train.
"Your y-ears is full of sand and it looks like you woulda shaved or had
your whiskers drove in and clinched." Pinkey eyed Wallie critically as
they waited together on the seat.
"Looks as if you would have had your teeth fixed," Wallie retorted.
"It's been nearly a year since that horse kicked them out."
"What would I go wastin' money like that for?" Pinkey demanded.
"They're front ones--I don't need 'em to eat."
"You'd look better," Wallie argued.
"What do I care how I look! I aim to do what's right by these dudes:
I'll saddle fer 'em, and I'll answer questions, and show 'em the sights,
but I don't need teeth to do that."
Pinkey was obstinate on some points, so Wallie knew it was useless to
persist; nevertheless, the absence of so many of his friend's teeth
troubled him more than a little, for the effect was startling when he
smiled, and Pinkey was no matinee idol at his best.
"There she comes!"
As one, the spectators on the platform stretched their necks to catch
the first glimpse of the train bearing its precious cargo of
millionaires.
Wallie felt suddenly nervous and wished he had taken more pains to
dress, as he visualized the prosperous-looking, well-groomed folk of The
Colonial Hotel.
As the mixed train backed up to the station from the Y, it was seen that
the party was on the back platform of the one passenger coach, ready to
get off. The engine stopped so suddenly that the cars bumped and the
party on the rear platform were thrown violently into each other's arms.
The expression on old Mr. Penrose's face was so fiendish as Mrs. C. D.
Budlong toppled backward and stood on his bunion that Wallie forgot the
graceful speech of welcome he had framed. Mr. Penrose had travelled all
the way in one felt slipper and now, as the lady inadvertently ground
her heel into the tender spot, Mr. Penrose looked as he felt--murderous.
"Get off my foot!" he shouted.
Mrs. Budlong obeyed by stepping on his other foot.
Mr. Appel, who had lurched over the railing, observed sarcastically:
"They ought to put that engineer on a stock train."
The party did not immediately recognize Wallie in his Western clothes,
but when they did they waved grimy hands at him and cried delightedly:
"Here we are, Wallie!"
Wallie made no reply to this self-evident fact and, indeed, he could
not, for he was too aghast at the shabby appearance of his wealthy
friends to think of any that was appropriate. They looked as if they had
ransacked their attics for clothes in which to make the trip.
The best Wallie could immediately manage was a limp handshake and a
sickly grin as the coal baron and street-railway magnate, Mr. Henry
Appel, stepped off in a suit of which he had undoubtedly been defrauding
his janitor for some years.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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