They wasn't nothin' in the way of gags that Jim couldn't
think up, when he put his mind to it.
Poor Paul was always kind of suspicious of people,
maybe on account of how Jim had kept foolin' him. Paul
wouldn't have much to do with anybody only his own
mother and Doc Stair and a girl here in town named
Julie Gregg. That is, she ain't a girl no more, but pretty
near thirty or over.
When Doc first come to town, Paul seemed to feel like
here was a real friend and he hung round Doc's office
most of the w'ile; the only time he wasn't there was
when he'd go home to eat or sleep or when he seen
Julie Gregg doin' her shoppin'.
When he looked out Doc's window and seen her, he'd
run downstairs and join her and tag along with her to
the different stores. The poor boy was crazy about Julie
and she always treated him mighty nice and made him
feel like he was welcome, though of course it wasn't
nothin' but pity on her side.
Doc done all he could to improve Paul's mind and he
told me once that he really thought the boy was gettin'
better, that they was times when he was as bright and
sensible as anybody else.
But I was goin' to tell you about Julie Gregg. Old Man
Gregg was in the lumber business, but got to drinkin'
HYLAND
