nsult you, Let it go. Let it go. It's all right. I
meant nothing out of the way."

Frank cooled down; and as he passed by me said, _sotto voce_; "I guess
we can stay all summer now, if we want to."

While at Napoleon, we had been in correspondence with several parties in
different towns, who were known to me as traders. After spending two
weeks there, we received a letter requesting us to visit a neighboring
town, where there was a prospect for a good trade. We had succeeded in
selling one Township right, which brought us cash enough for incidental
expenses.

Hence we were unable to pay our hotel bill, and as the landlord was not
in the office when we were ready to go, we simply left a note saying we
would return later.

We were gone two weeks, barely paying expenses, and returned to
Napoleon. Rushing into the hotel office, we grasped the landlord by both
hands, saying: "Did you think we had jumped our board bill, landlord?"

"Well, by golly, I didn't know what to think of it."

"Oh, pshaw! You ought to know us by this time. How are the nice cream
biscuit? Suppose you've got some for tea, haven't you? Guess we'll wash.
Put us down for a good room, landlord. How are the folks, landlord?"

He said he had thought all the time we would turn up again, some day. We
then explained the nature of our business, and told him he needn't be
surprised if we left suddenly at any time; but he could always look for
us back, sooner or later. We remained two weeks longer, with about the
same success that had attended us before.

One day the landlord pulled a chair up by me, in the office, and said
very mildly and pleasantly,

"Mr. Johnston, I have never yet asked you for money, and----"

"No," I quickly interrupted, "you never have, and I certainly respect
you for it. If there is anything on this earth I dislike, it is a
penurious, suspicious, narrow-minded landlord--always dunning his
guests, and treating them like tramps. And I'd leave a man's house as
soon as I could settle up and get out, if I was ever dunned by him."

"Well, I going to say, I never make a practice of dunning gentlemen who
stop with me, and----"

"Well, that's right, landlord, that's right, and you'll make friends, in
the long run, by not doing so. When I get ready to quit a hotel for
good, I've got sense enough to ask for my bill, and then settle in
full--and that is all anyone can ask for. How about the cream biscuit
for supper, landlord?"

He said h