And now you've got him, I hope
you're satisfied. And you kin jest clear out o' my house, do you hear?
And I can't scrub and sweep too soon where your lazy, dirty old boots
has been on the floor!"
"Wal," drawled Jim, "I can't throw away these boots any too soon,
neither. I wouldn't wear a pair of boots which had stepped on any
floor of yours."
He therefore left the house at once, even as the lady began her violent
sweeping. Interrupting Keno's mad chortles of joy at sight of little
Skeezucks, Jim gave him the tiny man for a moment's keeping, and,
taking off his boots, threw them down before Miss Dennihan's gate in
extravagant pride.
Then once more he took his little man on his arm and started away. But
when he had walked a half-dozen rods, on the rocks that indented the
tender soles of his stockinged feet, he was stepping with gingerly
uncertainty. He presently came to a halt. The ground was not only
lumpy, it was cold.
"I'll tell you what," he slowly drawled, "in this little world there's
about one chance in a million for a man to make a President of himself,
and about nine hundred and ninety-nine chances in a thousand for him to
make a fool of himself."
"That's what I thought," said Keno.
"All the same, if only I had the resolution I'd leave them boots there
forever!"
"What for?" said Keno.
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