m; that when it came his deal
he could hold anything he wanted; that the high cards, figuratively
speaking, would come to him in carriages; and remain till after the
show-down."

The next day I went to Lexington, Ky., and while there I wrote a letter
to Mr. Abram Hayden, of Aberdeen, Dakota, on one of the letter-head
sheets of Mills, Jackson & Johnson, which read as follows:

"Dear friend Abe:

Jim Turner was in from East Hickman half an
hour ago and left the enclosed $200 for me to send to
you, and he said you would know how to use it. He
has just sold a car-load of mules to Springer, of Cincinnati,
but he said he believed there was more profit
in loaning money at 20 per cent. in Dakota, than there
was in raising mules in Kentucky at present prices.

Say, Abe, when are you coming back after Mary?
I heard Min. Stevens and some of the girls in her set
say it was considered a sure thing. Hope it is; for of
all the real fine blue-grass girls around these parts I
think Mary is the----well never mind, old boy, if
I wasn't married I'd try and prevent her going to
Dakota. You better hurry up.

Jim just stuck his head in the door and told me to
tell you if you couldn't get a gilt edge loan at 20, not
to let it go less than 18. Jim is a cuss.

I suppose your brother wrote you what happened
up at Gil. Harper's recently.

If the cyclones haven't got you by the time this
reaches Aberdeen, write.

Very truly, your friend,

FRANK N. MILLS."

This letter I registered at Lexington and at night, about 11 o'clock,
when I had followed it into the Cincinnati post-office, Herrick and
Salmon were in the money-order division on a step-ladder, peering
through a glass transom into the registry division. As soon as possible
I joined them, and patiently we waited for Quinsey to turn a trick.

It was exactly two A. M. when he commenced on the Chicago bill. He
reached the letter from Lexington at precisely 2:45. It was fat and
tempting. Herrick was on the top of the ladder at that instant, and he
sent a peculiar thrill of surprise through me when he turned and
whispered:

"Hush, hush, he has picked it up."

"Now he's feeling of it."

"He's looking at the back of the of the R. P. E. (the outside envelope)
to see how well it's sealed."

"He's laid it down and placed a book over it; somebody is moving
around."

"It's quiet now an