, he had become naturalized, and was now a citizen of the
chivalrous States of Mississippi, a fact of which he prided himself
considerably.

Mr. Swartz was busily engaged counting his money, when a little boy,
who seemed, from a similarity of features, to be his son appeared at
the door, and mentioned that Mr. Elder desired to see him.

"Vot can he vant?" said Mr. Swartz. Then as if recollecting, he
continued: "I suppose it is apout that little shtore he vants to rent
me. Tell him to come in."

The boy withdrew, and a few seconds after a tall and scrupulously
dressed gentleman, with his coat buttoned up to the throat, and
wearing a broad rimmed hat, entered the room. This was Mr. James
Elder, a citizen of Jackson, but not a native of the State. He came
from Kentucky several years before, and was a man with "Southern
principles." To do him justice, we will say that he was really true
friend to the South, which fact may have been not only from principle,
but from his being a large slaveholder. He was also the possessor of a
considerable amount of landed property and real estate, among which
were several buildings in Jackson.. He was also looked upon by the
_world_, as very charitable man, being always busy collecting money
from the people in aid of some benevolent object, and occasionally his
name would appear in the newspapers, accompanied by a flattering
compliment to his generosity, as the donor of a liberal amount of
money to some charitable institution or society. There were people,
however, who said that the poor families, who hired a series of
tenement buildings he possessed in the lower part of the city, were
very often hard pressed for their rent, and more than once turned out
for non-payment. These reports were considered as slanders, for being
a member, and one of the pillars of the Methodist Church, no one, for
a moment, believed that he would be guilty of so unfeeling an action.

On entering the room, Mr. James Elder made a stiff bow to Mr. Swartz,
and declining the hand offered to him, as if it were contamination to
touch the person of one of God's likeness, dusted a chair and sat down
opposite his host.

"Vell, Mr. Elder, have you decided whether I can get the shtore or
not? Tis place of mine is in very pad orter, and I tinks yours vill
shust suit me," began Mr. Swartz, after a silence of about three
minutes.

"Yes, Mr. Swartz, I think you can have the place, if you and I can
come to terms about the