lied that it was in the hotel safe. I came near fainting, then
finally said:

"Ladies, please excuse me one moment. I'll call a carriage."

So saying I stepped across the street, wondering on the way what I would
do. I had no watch to leave as security, nor a piece of jewelry of any
kind. Every thing of this sort was used by me as stock in trade. I knew
better than to ask for credit, and realized that my life would be in
danger to hire a carriage and undertake to "stave them off" afterwards.

So the reader will readily understand that I was at my wits' end; but at
the last moment my senses came to me, and I instantly thought of a
scheme to help us out. I asked a hack-man what he would charge to take
us to a certain street and number on the West Side. He said two dollars.
He might as well have said two hundred. I at once found fault with the
price, and managed to get into an altercation with him and three or four
others, and talked loud enough for Albert and the young ladies to hear.

As I approached them I did so in a very excited manner, with my hat in
one hand and a large empty pocket-book in the other, and roundly cursing
all the cab-men in Chicago.

"What's the matter?" asked one of the girls.

"Matter? Great Heavens! Do you suppose I'll give seven dollars to one of
these robbers to carry us over on the West Side?"

"Indeed you will not," shouted the brave little lady. "We'll walk."

"That's just what we will do," I cried, as I took her by the arm and
hus'led her down street, fearing she might change her mind, followed by
the other couple; and we made a rapid trip, pattering through the rain
and mud, congratulating ourselves on our shrewdness and courage in
getting even with the Chicago cab-men.

And now, after this digression, to resume:

After receiving the twenty-five dollars from Albert, I bought a few
necessaries, and a ticket for Chicago, where I arrived June fifteenth,
1881, with but a few dollars. I called immediately on a firm I had dealt
with a little the year before, and of whom I could buy goods at
twenty-five per cent. less than from the one I first began dealing with.

After explaining my circumstances, giving references and asking the
proprietor if he would sell me some stock on credit, he said he would
limit me to fifty dollars, to begin with; and would increase it as my
capital increased. I considered this reasonable, and selected forty
dollars' worth. I made it a point to select just thi