CHAPTER IX 



EL PASO 



With my removal to El Paso began an era of 

 prosperity for me which lasted for two or three 

 years. 



I had "made good" in Houston during the 

 short time I was in business for myself there. 

 That is, I had laid the foundation for a good 

 practice there, but I had not made any money. 

 I just about made ends meet and that was all. 

 I had demonstrated to my own satisfaction, how- 

 ever, that I had the stuff in me to work up and 

 hold a good practice if I could only overcome my 

 wanderlust. 



As I sat in the train speeding towards El Paso 

 I took an inventory of my various maneuvers up 

 to that period and I somewhat reluctantly put 

 Houston, along with the rest of my flings at 

 "Miss Opportunity," into the scrap heap of my 

 career. 



With all my roaming about and my numerous 

 flings at chance I had one thing of which I was 

 justly proud. This was the fact that, although 

 I had led a sort of adventurous, free-lance exist- 

 ence up to this time, I had not wandered from the 

 path of gentlemanly conduct. Although I had 

 come in contact with many breeds and types of 

 men I remained true to my father's teachings. 

 Although I was a great part of the time sur- 

 rounded by gamblers and in contact with gam- 



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