that unexpected business called me away for a few days, and then I
returned home and hired a man to drive me to the railway station. I was
afraid to trust the trunk out of my sight, but I had to let the baggage
man take it, but I charged him to be particular with it, telling him
that it was full of iron ore. He gave it a jerk and declared that it
must be full of lead. When I had come into that community I fancied that
the train was on wings, but now it appeared to be crawling. Night came
and I was afraid that robbers might assail the train and expose my
secret; but at last I reached Nashville, and then came a worry. How was
I to find the man who had made the stove? I took my trunk to a hotel,
wrapped a chunk of the mica in a handkerchief and set out to look for a
stove dealer. I soon found a hardware establishment, and in I walked
with the hardened air of business, and asked for the proprietor. A
pleasant-looking man came forward, and I asked him what mica was worth.
He looked at me sharply and answered that he was not thoroughly informed
as to the state of the market, but that he thought it was worth all the
way from five to twenty-five dollars a pound. "But mica of the first
quality is scarce," said he, and then he asked if I wanted to buy mica.

"No, sir, I want to sell it. Is this of good quality?"

I unwrapped the handkerchief and his eyes stuck out in astonishment.
"Where did you get it?" he asked.

"Off my land in North Carolina."

"Have you very much of it?" he asked, scaling off thin sheets with his
knife.

"Tons of it."

"You don't say so! Then you've got a fortune. We are not very large
manufacturers and don't use a great deal. How much did you bring with
you?"

"Only a trunk full."

"Well, I guess we can take that much. Bring it around."

I did so, and I could scarcely believe that I had correctly caught his
words when he offered me five hundred dollars, though now I know that he
paid me much less than it was worth. He talked a long time with his
partner, and then came back to me with the money, asked my name and a
number of other questions. "Young man," said he, "if we had the ready
means we would buy that mine, but we haven't. Now, I tell you what you
do: Take a sample--this piece--and go at once to Chicago. I know of some
capitalists there who are making large investments in the South, and I
have no doubt that they will be pleased to make you an offer for your
property. Here, I'll write their n