"'Well, as a favour to me?' I says.

"'Well, if you put it in that way--I don't want to be small about
it.'

"So Arizona goes up to Jones and sticks out his hand. 'There's my
hand, Jones,' he says. 'I'm mighty sorry you told me to shut up my
mouth,' says he.

"'So am I,' says Jones heartily, not taking in the sense of the
words, but feeling that it was all in good intention. So that was
all right and I stood in with the management in great shape for
fixing up the fuss so pleasant. But it didn't last. They say
nothing lasts in this world. There's some pretty solid rocks in
the Coeur d'Alene, however, and I should like to wait around and
see if they don't hold out, but I'll never make it. I've been in
too much excitement.

"Well, the next thing after Jonesy got established was that his
niece must come out during vacation and pay him a visit.
'Jee-rusalem!' thinks I, 'Jonesy's niece!' I had visions of a
thin, yaller, sour little piece, with mouse-coloured hair plastered
down on her head, and an unkind word for everybody. Jonesy told me
about her being in college, and then I stuck a pair of them
nose-grabber specks on the picture. I can stand 'most any kind of
a man, but if there's anything that makes the tears come to my eyes
it's a botch of a woman. I know they may have good qualities and
all that, but I don't like 'em, and that's the whole of it. We
gave three loud groans when we got the news in the bull-pen. And I