like the
exclusive sale of this, one of the fastest-selling and most useful
articles ever manufactured. I have only twenty dozen left, and some one
in this town is going to have them. You can put a basket full on your
counter, sir, and sell one or more to every lady visiting your store."

"What do they retail at?" he asked.

"Fifty cents each."

"What is the wholesale price?"

"Three dollars a dozen, but as I have only twenty dozen left, you can
have them at two dollars and seventy-five cents per dozen."

"I'll give you fifty dollars spot cash for the lot," he said, after
figuring a moment.

"All right, I guess you can have them." And I quickly delivered them and
received the cash.

Thirty dollars of this the young man received with much satisfaction,
while with the other twenty I felt quite comfortable myself.

After paying my hotel bill I departed for Ohio.

On my arrival home I explained to my folks "just how it all happened."
My mother said "she always thought I would turn out a gambler anyhow,
and didn't expect anything else when I left home, only that I would lose
all I had before getting back."

Mr. Keefer said "it was too bad, and I ought to have knocked the whole
top of that clerk's head off for getting me into such habits."

CHAPTER XI.

MORE HELP FROM MR. KEEFER--OFF TO SEE MY GIRL--EMBARKED IN THE
AGRICULTURAL-IMPLEMENT BUSINESS WITHOUT CAPITAL--MARRIED--SOLD OUT--IN
THE GROCERY BUSINESS--COLLAPSED--RUNNING A BILLIARD HALL--COLLAPSED
AGAIN--NEWSPAPER REPORTER FOR A MYSTERIOUS MURDER.

The next day I called Mr. Keefer to one side, informed him--on the
quiet--about my shortage of seventy-five dollars and suggested going to
the bank and borrowing about a hundred dollars, as it would be necessary
for me to have a few dollars to "sort of bridge me over" till I could
get on my feet again. He said he guessed that would be all right, so we
borrowed the money.

The next day I received a very affectionate letter from my girl and
started forthwith for Michigan, arriving there in time to escort her to
the last and grandest ball of the season, at an expense of more than
half the amount of my last loan.

I was very anxious to get married at once, but being a little short
financially, concluded to postpone it a few days at least. A couple of
days later I received a letter from my uncle, A. S. Johnston, who was
then living at Three Rivers, Michigan, and who had previously started me
in the fruit