Mrs. Kent."

"Drive on, Nicholas!" said Mrs. Kent, angrily. "How I hate that boy!"
she ejaculated.

"It strikes me, mother, you've got the best of it," said Nicholas.
"You've got his property, and as to his company, we can do without
that."

CHAPTER XVI.

AN UNPLEASANT ADVENTURE.

A week later Jasper was one of the passengers on a train bound for St.
Louis, and already within sixty miles of that flourishing city. He had
stopped over at Niagara and Cincinnati--a day or so at each place. He
gratified his desire to see the great cataract, and felt repaid for
doing so, though the two stops trenched formidably upon his small
capital. Indeed, at the moment when he is introduced anew to the
reader's notice he had but ten dollars remaining of the sum with which
he started. He was, however, provided, besides, with a through ticket to
St. Louis.

He had been sitting alone, when a stranger entering the car seated
himself in the vacant seat.

Looking up, Jasper noticed that he was a tall man, shabbily dressed,
with thin, sallow face and a swelling in the left cheek, probably
produced by a quid of tobacco.

"Good-mornin', colonel," said the stranger, sociably.

"Good-morning, sir," said Jasper, smiling. "I haven't the honor of being
a colonel."

"Haven't you, cap'n? Well, that ain't of no account. It'll come in time.
Where are you travelling?"

"To St. Louis."

"Ever been there afore?"

"No; this will be my first visit."

"You don't say! Where may you be from?"

"From New York State," answered Jasper, amused.

The stranger drew from his pocket a package of chewing tobacco and
passed it politely to Jasper.

"Help yourself, colonel," he said hospitably.

"No, thank you; I don't chew."

"Shoo, you don't say so! High time you began, then."

"I don't think I shall ever form the habit of chewing."

"Yes, you will, colonel; everybody does. Travellin' on business?"

"Well, not exactly," said Jasper, hesitatingly. "That is, I am looking
for a chance to go into business."

"Got any capital?" interjected the stranger, carelessly, squirting a
yellow stream upon the floor of the car.

"Oh, I don't expect to go into business for myself at present," said
Jasper, amused at the thought.

"No?" said the other, reflectively. "If you had five thousand dollars I
might take you into partnership."

"What is your business?" asked Jasper, with curiosity.

"Cotton," said the stranger. "I'm a cotton broker. I do