Must have been a
skunk, Frank Burton says. Well, they say that Sam's heart was just
about broken. Not just because his stock was gone but more because he
couldn't think of another thing to turn his hand to.
"Well, he got through the winter some way and then, while he was
sitting in the train one day coming home, he overheard two men talking
about turtles going up. Must have been two hotel men. Anyway, that
gave Sam an idea and he started right in wading through Petersen's
slough for turtles. Why, he pulled up barrels of them, and would you
believe it, they sold in the city for real money! Sam went
crazy--about as crazy as Mary Hagley got over her luck. And then along
came rheumatism and knocked Sam flat, just when he was doing so well.
Everybody said it was just poor Sam's luck. So there was Sam sick
abed, thinking about those turtles moving off somewheres else maybe, or
somebody else getting rich on them.
"And all the time he lay in bed groaning Sam's wife went around the
house doing the same. Only her trouble wasn't turtles but corsets.
Seems like Sam always promised Dudy that if he made any money she was
to have plenty to spend. Well, he treated her mighty handsome about
that turtle money. Dudy had the sense to take all he gave her and she
vowed that for once in her life she'd get herself a corset that was
comfortable.
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