sful. The keen-eyed reporters for the daily
papers were thrown off the scent, and when we returned to the city we
took rooms at the Brandreth House, where Mrs. Lincoln registered as
"Mrs. Morris." I had desired her to go to the Metropolitan Hotel, and
confide in the proprietors, as the Messrs. Leland had always been very
kind to her, treating her with distinguished courtesy whenever she was
their guest; but this she refused to do.

Several days passed, and Messrs. Brady and Keyes were forced to
acknowledge that their scheme was a failure. The letters had been shown
to various parties, but every one declined to act. Aside from a few
dresses sold at small prices to secondhand dealers, Mrs. Lincoln's
wardrobe was still in her possession. Her visit to New York had proved
disastrous, and she was goaded into more desperate measures. Money she
must have, and to obtain it she proposed to play a bolder game. She gave
Mr. Brady permission to place her wardrobe on exhibition for sale, and
authorized him to publish the letters in the _World_.

After coming to this determination, she packed her trunks to return to
Chicago. I accompanied her to the depot, and told her good-by, on the
very morning that the letters appeared in the _World_. Mrs. Lincoln
wrote me the incidents of the journey, and the letter describes the
story more graphically than I could hope to do. I suppress many
passages, as they are of too confidential a nature to be given to the
public:

"CHICAGO, October 6th.

"My DEAR LIZZIE:--My ink is like myself and my spirits
failing, so I write you to-day with a pencil. I had a
solitary ride to this place, as you may imagine, varied by
one or two amusing incidents. I found, after you left me, I
could not continue in the car in which you left me, owing to
every seat's berth being engaged; so, being simple _Mrs.
Clarke_, I had to eat 'humble-pie' in a car less commodious.
My thoughts were too much with my 'dry goods and interests'
at 609 Broadway, to care much for my surroundings, as
uncomfortable as they were. In front of me sat a middle-aged,
gray-haired, respectable-looking gentleman, who, for the
whole morning, had the page of the _World_ before him which
contained my letters and business concerns. About four hours
before arriving at Chicago, a consequential-looking man, of
formidable size, seated himself by him, and it appears they
were entirely un