When I woke up I was moving again, going slow in the direction of the Inlet, and I felt quite refreshed and happy, and the whole of Atlantic City appeared to feel the same, for everybody I passed smiled and seemed to be enjoying theirselves. And they all seemed to smile at me in such a sweet, friendly way it made my heart feel awful good. I was even quite surprised because although of course I am used to being recognized every place I go, but still, more people than ever was doing it this afternoon. I begun to think I must be looking pretty good and that my hat, about which I had had a few doubts, was a big success after all. It really was a sort of triumphal progress as the saying is, and I had half a mind to turn around when we passed the last pier; but the ocean looked so beautiful and pink in the sunset and going the other way it would of been in my eyes, so I just let myself be rolled on and on until we was almost to the Inlet and not a soul in sight. Then the chair stopped and was turned against the rail.
"Now I've got you at last!" said a unexpected voice, and around from the back came, not the coon, but Captain Raymond.
"Where did you come from?" I asked, hardly able to speak.
"I have had the honor of pushing you into this secluded corner of—of the ocean!" he said, his blue eyes twinkling.
"But how—how . . ." I sputtered.
"I bought off the colored man while you were sleeping," he said. "And have been your humble servant for almost an hour!"
Can you beat it? You cant!
"Well of all the nerve," I began, remembering how people had smiled, and no wonder!
"What are you going to do about it?" he asked.
"Walk home this minute!" I says, struggling with the rugs. But they had a will of their own and it was on his side and I just couldnt seem to get free of them.