me in contact with a lady. She fought me very hard, but I
needed bread, and worked like a trooper to get it without parting with
the few shillings I had. I at last succeeded in getting her so far
interested as to ask the price.

Realizing that her intuitive quickness and shrewdness surpassed that of
my two gentlemen patrons, and that she evinced but little interest,
anyhow, I reduced the price to fifty cents, and offered to take half in
trade and the balance in cash. This she agreed to, and I very soon
departed with my arms full of provisions, and one dollar in cash.

I then visited Tremain's drug store, and ordered more Polish put up, to
be ready the following Monday.

I went directly home, more pleased with my success than anything I had
ever before accomplished. Nor can I now remember of ever succeeding in
anything since, that gave me more satisfaction. As I entered the room,
about nine o'clock, with my arms loaded with packages, my wife sang out:

"Little late, but still in the ring."

With grim irony I replied: "And the villain still pursued her."

However, I appreciated the joke as much as she did; and we were but a
few moments in preparing a meal that each pronounced the best we had
ever partaken of.

Our landlady looked in upon us again that night, when I handed her the
dollar due for rent, saying as I did so, that I might as well pay it
then as to wait till Monday.

We felt quite comfortable, and congratulated ourselves on our success in
pulling through, and making such a narrow escape.

My wife's faith in the three-meals-a-day theory was strengthened more
than ever after this; and I felt myself that I had come about as near
missing a meal as I would probably ever again experience.

When Monday morning came I was ready for business with my nine bottles
of Polish.

The first house I visited was a large stone front, showing the owner to
be a man of wealth. I noticed the front window blinds were closed, and
as it was Monday morning I concluded that the lady of the house would
likely be found at the side door, or possibly overseeing in the laundry.
The latter I found to be the case, and when I rang the bell she answered
it herself. Upon seeing me with my valise, she slammed the door in my
face, and I heard the bolt shove, as though expecting me to attempt to
break in.

This exasperated me more than the rebuff, and I could feel my hair
standing straight up almost piercing my straw hat. I started around