Holbrook argus., 1910-02-15
Copyright, by Short Stories CO, Ltd.)

Old, once. In full possession ot al me physical appurtenances an inte, lectual well bein, I took hold of 2 buffalo be the tail. Me tracks were q mile an three-quarters apart an covered three states in less'n thirty minutes. Not that made a protracted stay in either; me conveyance didn't hesitate sufficient
 It happened in Kansas. All things of consequence in me career happened in Kansas for space of five years. was holdin' down a government claim out there-an' when I say holdin' it down I mean just that had to hole it down. What with cyclones an other evil-minded persons, coincident with the great an glorious state of Kansas it kept g fellow busy.
 "Bein', as 1 may say, the only hu- man beiD' in the precinct except the hoss, I had things pretty much me own way for a time. I was the mayor an the chief of police, an the fire de partment, an the board of aldermen an the most imminent citizen. But all this grandeur was oppressive afte' awhile. Bein' naturally of peaceful dispensation I liked solitude, an here was miles of it, the most solitudinous solitude I ever sat down in the middle of. But it was too much. I useter get that lonesome sometimes I'd go out l an swear at the sun just to see if I'd lost mo voice. An I hadn't
 About the time was gettin' line on the fact that I couldn't raise any thing on my claim but an umbrella, decided that I needed company, so sint for me brother-a mere lad, as said. I had to ride sixty miles to mail a postal card, rural delivery not hav- In become an established instigation at that time-an' if it had been I guess was too rural for it to reach mean then he had to come all the way from Newark, New Jersey. It was five weeks before he arruv. Newark was glitterin' an pageantraceous metrop- oils compared to the place where was.
 Well, druv me brother out to the farm. The good Lord may know what he expected. I don't Anyhow it wasn't anything like what he found. He was young an frivolsome, an had just about reached that age whin a man takes real pride in the way he combs his hair-an' spinds all his time It it. So naturally the claim didn't make any hit with him. think he had q girl--or maybe his liver was out of order.
 'Whin we druv up to the dug-out where I lived, says:
 Here we are,' says I.
 'Where?' he says. Where's the house?' says he.
 That's the house. says I, p'intin' to the dugout, that's the mansion wherein we shall be domiciled, I says.
 That little hole in the ground?' says he, with the brushes over it?' ke says.
 "'That's 1t, me lad says I. eDrorin' room, parlor, liberry, dinin room, bed rooms, bath an kitchen says The hoss sleeps in the kitchen says I.
 Well, me brother didn't say any thing, but I could see that his men tai requirements were wrestlin' with that
 We wint in an had dinner
 Sunset says me brother, yer didn't put the butter on the table, he says.
 No says I. 'Yer'll be surprised, says, how well yer can get along without it. says 1, me not havin ooked a COW in the face in so long I'd
 orgot whether it was animal or veg stable.
 "'Oh,' says he, an he ct in silence while he thought it out. Do yer ever have any company out here?' he says. | after awhile.
 Sure says I. The best in the world, l says. Me An I lighted me pipe with that degree of superior .ty which is natural with the mosi imminent citizen, one of whom was which, as it were.
 But who do you talk to-? he says.
 "'Talk to?' says I. T talk to meself. whin I have time to stop an listen. I says.
 An thin he had to think that out He had lot of things to think out after that. I had to do it meself Despite these splindid intellectual ex ! ercises me brother didn't seem happy. an, faith, didn't blame him at that i poor lad. Yer see, there wasn't a i thing to do but work, an nothin' to zee but miles an miles of prairie m nothin' to eat but corn bread an SOW belly, an nothin to drink but water, an we had to haul that five i miles, an it tasted like morta sin. That's the sort of a place Kan ,as is, or was.
 "Once or twice me brother kicked over the traces. an declared he was
 soin' back to New Jersey-an' ye,
 nOw a man must be desprit whin { ne says a thing like that Thin he was that discontint that he refused