into a big, bright room, an' the doctor was lookin' at him an'
astin' him questions. An' Jim said he never did know what he
answered, but it must 'a' been right, fer the doctor grabbed holt of
his hand, an' sez: 'Bless my soul! It's little Jimmy Wiggs, all the
way from Curryville!'

"Then they give him his supper, an' Mrs. White sez: 'Where'll he
sleep at, Doctor? There ain't no spare bed.' Then Jim sez the doctor
frowned like ever'thin', an' sez: 'Sleep? Why, he'll sleep in the
bed with my boys, an' they orter be proud to have sech a plucky
bedfeller!'

"Jim never did fergit them words; they meant a good deal more to him
than his supper.

"Early the nex' mornin' he started out agin, the doctor pointin' him
on the way. He didn't git into the city till 'long 'bout four
o'clock, an' he sez he never was so mixed in all his life. All my
childern was green about town; it made ever' one of 'em sick when
they first rode on the street-cars, an' Europena was skeered to
death of the newsboys, 'cause she thought they called 'Babies,'
'stid of 'Papers.' Jim kep' right on the main road, like he was tole
to, but things kep' a-happenin' 'round him so fast, he said he
couldn't do no more 'n jes' keep out the way. All of a suddint a
ice-wagon come rattlin' up behin' him. It was runnin' off, an' 'fore
he knowed it a man hit it in the head an' veered it 'round towards
him; Jim said his hoss turned a clean somerset, an' he was th'owed
up in the air, an'--"

"Ma!" called a shrill voice from the Wiggses' porch, "Australia's