you in quality and price better than any other house in the town." Ithacl, hardly gone a block before I was accosted by a well dressed, intelligent looking man, on the opposite side of the street, with: " Why, bless my soul 1 Is that you Ben ? I thought I would never see you again. Where do you hail from ? Hold on a moment, please, till I come over and have a shake !" and he crossed the street toward me. I waited for him, both amused and perplexed, and wondered what such proceedings meant. The stranger shook my hand warmly, patted me on the back and said, familiarly : " Old boy, you are as smiling as ever. That face of yours is a fortune to its owner." I thought it about time to clear away the mystery, and so said: " Stranger, you seem to know me, but I hope I may die if I ever saw you or met you before."' The stranger laughed and answered: " That won't do, Ben; won't do. Don't you know John Barclay, lawyer ? Well, if that isn't too cool; good morning, I'll see you again." I was confounded. Was it a joke some one had put up on me, or was it the way these people greeted every stranger ? It was sociability and familiarity bordering on impudence. I stepped into the hotel, up to the counter, and registered my name, the proprietor staring at me all the while. When I looked up the proprietor said, tauntingly : "Oh you've changed your name, have you ?" " Changed my name ?" I exclaimed. "What do you mean ? Are you all bewitched in this town, or am I dreaming?" " You're not Ben Haines, the bare-faced, oily-tongued book agent, who was here two weeks ago selling law books ?" pro pounded the landlord. " You didn't get an advance on your books from the lawyers, as smart t.s they are ? Of course not! You can't get accommodation in this house until you have set tled the old score 1" Just at this moment a man hurriedly entered, clasped my slender arm with a vise-like grip, exclaiming: "Ah Mister Ben Haines, I've got you at last. You're my man, sir. I have
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