that Poe one evening, in his wanderings about the streets,
stopped to read a copy of _The Evening Visitor_ exposed for sale, and
had his attention attracted by the offer of a purse of one hundred
dollars for the best original story to be submitted to that journal
anonymously. Remembering his rejected manuscripts, he at once hastened
home and, making them into a neat parcel, dispatched them to the office
of the _Visitor_, though with little or no hope of their meeting with
acceptance.

His feelings may therefore be imagined when he shortly received a letter
informing him that the prize of one hundred dollars had been awarded to
his story of "The Gold Bug," and desiring him to come to the office of
the _Visitor_ and receive the money.

It was on this occasion that Poe made the acquaintance of Mr. J. P.
Kennedy, author of "_Swallow Barn_," who proved such a true friend to
him in time of need. Mr. Kennedy says he recognized in the thin, pale,
shabbily dressed but neatly groomed young man a gentleman, and also that
he was starving. He invited him frequently to his table, presented him
with a suit of clothes and, seeing how feeble he was, gave him the use
of a horse for the exercise which he so much needed. He also obtained
for him some employment in the office of the _Evening Visitor_, whose
editor, Mr. Wilmer, accepted several stories from his pen; and it was
now, evidently, that Poe decided upon literature as a profession.

Under these favoring conditions Poe rapidly recovered his health and
spirits. Mr. Wilmer, who saw a good deal of him at this time, says that
when their office work was done they would often walk out together into
the suburbs, generally accompanied by Virginia, who would never be left
behind. At the office he was punctual, industrious and his work
satisfactory. In all his association with him he never saw him under the
influence of intoxicants or knew him to drink except once, moderately,
when he opened a bottle of wine for a visitor.

I once clipped from a Baltimore paper the following article by a
reporter to whom the story was related by "a lively and comely old
lady," herself its heroine. I give it as an illustration of the easy
confidence with which Poe, even in his youth, sought the acquaintance of
women who attracted his attention:

CHAPTER XII.

"A PRETTY GIRL WITH AUBURN HAIR WHOM POE LOVED."

"The old lady commenced by saying that she had known Poe quite
intimately when she and