I'm sittin' there in the coop, countin'
my fingers and listenin' to Limon calling off car numbers to
Denver--just like that I'm sittin'--when I hear somethin' out in the
waitin' room. Not very loud.--Well, I go out there, and there's the bum.
Come right into the waitin' room.
"Bum! If he wasn't the father and mother and brother and sister of the
original bum, I'll eat my hat. Almost a Jew-lookin' guy, and he'd saw
hard service. But he's got a kind o' crazy glitter in his eye.
"'Well,' says I, just like that, 'Well, what do you want?'
"He don't whine; he don't handle the pan. He's got that look in his eye.
"'My woman is out in them box cars,' says he. 'I'm goin' to bring her in
here where it's warm.' That's what he says. Not '_can_ I bring her in?'
but '_goin_' to bring her in!' From a _hobo_!
"Can you imagine? It makes me think. It comes to me the guy is really
off his trolley. To keep him calm I says, 'Well--'
"He goes out. 'I'm shed o' _him_,' I says to myself. Not a bit. About
three minutes and here he comes trottin' back, sure enough, bringin' a
woman with him. Now Mister--What's-y'r-name--prepare to laugh. That
there woman--listen--make up your face--she's a _nigger_!
"He says she ain't a nigger.
"'Mexican?' says I.
"'No,' says he.
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