with this system properly
manipulated there would very soon be a perceptible change.

In answer to this he said he was going to treat it as a personal
letter, and intended to keep it for future reference, in case he or any
of his friends should ever get in close quarters; he believed that as I
had now hit on a plan for unloading our large stock of goods, and with
my determination and bull-dog tenacity, he felt certain of success.

This was the last time I ever heard the word "assignment" used in
connection with my business, and I hope circumstances will never bring
it up again.

My wife and I continued on through the northern part of the lower
peninsula of Michigan, and I must say, that although my business affairs
were considerably muddled, I never made a more enjoyable trip than this.
After my separation with Flo. I had often declared that I would never
marry again; and I now saw where I might have made a serious mistake,
had I adhered to that declaration. With a wife full of hope, and a
determination to do all in her power for my comfort and happiness, and a
particular faculty for working hand in hand with me, I could see a
bright future, even in the darkest days of my financial trouble.

We continued to trade horses occasionally, or at least often enough to
break the monotony; and after we had been out a few weeks, I traded
jewelry for a handsome pair of ponies, harness and carriage. My wife's
health improved rapidly; she found considerable amusement at first in
driving this team, following after me. Very often, when we would find it
convenient to do so, I would give her a case of goods and let her drive
to some distant store and make a sale while I would drive to another
town, and we would meet at still another point at night.

I agreed to give her ten per cent. on all the goods she could sell to
any new customer, and on all they would buy in the future. She made
several customers in this way, and as we are still selling them lots of
goods, they are known to our book-keepers as Anna's customers, and she
never fails to call regularly for her commissions. When she became tired
of driving the ponies I traded them off.

We had some queer experiences that summer in making collections. One
firm had been owing me one hundred and twenty dollars for a long time,
and at last the entire establishment was turned over to the man's wife
and the business carried on in her name. This was at Farwell, Michigan.

We drove up