ossible for him to
give even the "wharf rats," a point or two in the way of water feats.
Then came the regulation clam-bake, after which Peter talked about the
tenement-house question for twenty minutes. The speech was very
different from what they expected, and rather disappointed them all.
However, he won back their good opinions in closing, for he ended with a
very pleasant "thank you," to Blunkers, so neatly worded, and containing
such a thoroughly apt local joke, that it put all in a good humor, and
gave them something to tell their neighbors, on their return home. The
advantage of seldom joking is that people remember the joke, and it gets
repeated. Peter almost got the reputation of a wit on that one joke,
merely because it came after a serious harangue, and happened to be
quotable. Blunkers was so pleased with the end of the speech that he got
Peter to write it out, and to this day the "thank you" part of the
address, in Peter's neat handwriting, handsomely framed, is to be seen
in Blunkers's saloon.

Peter also did a little writing this summer. He had gone to see three or
four of the reporters, whom he had met in "the case," to get them to
write up the Food and Tenement subjects, wishing thereby to stir up
public feeling. He was successful to a certain degree, and they not
merely wrote articles themselves, but printed three or four which Peter
wrote. In two cases, he was introduced to "staff" writers, and even
wrote an editorial, for which he was paid fifteen dollars. This money
was all he received for the time spent, but he was not working for
shekels. All the men told him to let them know when he had more
"stories" for them, and promised him assistance when the reports should
go in to the legislature.

Peter visited his mother as usual during August. Before going, he called
on Dr. Plumb, and after an evening with him, went to two tenements in
the district. As the result of these calls, he carried three children
with him when he went home. Rather pale, thin little waifs. It is a
serious matter to charge any one with so grave a crime as changling, but
Peter laid himself open to it, for when he came back, after two weeks,
he returned very different children to the parents. The fact that they
did not prosecute for the substitution only proves how little the really
poor care for their offspring.

But this was not his only summering. He spent four days with the
Costells, as well as two afternoons later, thorough