as to "have it out with him, then and there," but I
suddenly thought of my stock in trade lying in the middle of the street,
and "hus'led" to gather it up.

It took me a whole day to clean and re-card and get it in good shape,
which work I did at the hotel, in the same town. I remained there over
night and prepared for a new start the following morning.

The more I thought of the treatment I had received at his hands, the
more I felt like having the matter settled before leaving. So after
making all preparations for a start, I drove to his store, and just as I
stepped from my buggy, he came around the corner from his residence and
was about to enter the door.

I headed him off and said, "Mr. ----, I am about to leave this town, and
before doing so, I propose to have a little settlement with you. Now,
sir, you can have your choice of three things. Either make an apology
for your beastly conduct yesterday, take a good thrashing or look my
goods over in a gentlemanly manner. Now which do you prefer?"

At this I began laying off my coat.

He said he had no desire to look at my goods and didn't crave a
thrashing, and guessed he would rather apologize, which he did, and I
went on my way rejoicing, and I dare say in much better shape than I
might have been in, had he shown as much fight as he did meanness the
day before.

On account of my extremely small stock I found it up-hill work to
succeed as a wholesaler. My first large sale had so completely _turned
my head_, that I was unable to return to my former successful plan of
peddling from house to house and continued on as a wholesaler, wending
my way homeward.

On arriving there I drove to the old farm, and with much pride related
my experience and success to the folks.

My mother said she wouldn't give fifty cents for all the jewelry in the
box, and in all probability the horse would die or something happen to
him sooner or later.

Mr. Keefer said he didn't know about the jewelry, but one thing was
sure, the horse and buggy were fine.

I saw the utter foolishness of trying to be a wholesaler, and began
searching about for a customer for my entire lot of jewelry, whom I soon
found in the person of a young man, whose note I took for two hundred
and fifty dollars, and his father as signer, payable six months after
date.

The next day I drove down town, and as was my custom after arriving home
from a trip, my creditors were the very first persons I called on, and