ount of the year filled with tearful praise of the part Mr. Davis had
played in it. Samson told of the failure of Bim's letter to reach him and
of his offer to return the money which Davis had paid for their relief.

"I don't like the man and I don't want you to be under obligation to
him," said Samson. "The story of Harry's death was false and I think that
he is responsible for it. He wanted her to marry him right away after
that--of course. And she went to the plague settlement to avoid marriage.
I know her better than you do. She has read him right. Her soul has
looked into his soul and it keeps her away from him."

But Mrs. Kelso could believe no evil of her benefactor, nor would she
promise to cease depending on his bounty.

Samson was a little disheartened by the visit. He Went to see John
Wentworth, the editor of _The Democrat_, of whose extreme length Mr.
Lincoln had humorously spoken in his presence. The young New Englander
was seven feet tall. He welcomed the broad-shouldered man from Sangamon
County and began at once to question him about Honest Abe and "Steve"
Douglas and O.H. Browning and E.D. Baker and all the able men of the
middle counties. Then he wanted to know of the condition of the people
since the collapse of the land boom. The farmer's humorous comment and
sane views delighted the young editor. At the first opportunity Samson
came to the business of his call--the mischievous lie regarding Harry's
death which had appeared in _The Democrat_. Mr. Wentworth went to the
proof room and found the manuscript of the article.

"We kept it because we didn't know and do not now know the writer," said
Wentworth.

Samson told of the evil it had wrought and conveyed his suspicions to the
editor.

"Davis is rather unscrupulous," said Wentworth. "We know a lot about him
in this office."

Samson looked at the article and presently said: "Here is a note that he
gave to a friend of mine. It looks to me as if the note and the article
were written by the same hand."

Mr. Wentworth compared the two and said: "You are right. The same person
wrote them. But it was not Davis."

When Samson left the office of _The Democrat_ he had accomplished little
save the confirmation of his suspicions. There was nothing he could do
about it.

He went to Eli Fredenberg. Eli, having sold out at the height of the boom
in Springfield, had been back to Germany to visit his friends.

"I haf money--plendy money," said Eli. "In de