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