y a baby
carriage, which I forwarded to my wife, and had a few dollars left, I
was arrested for selling from house to house without a license. I
explained to the officer that I hadn't the slightest idea that I was
obliged to have one. He said I must go before the city magistrate, and
demanded that I should accompany him, which I did.

The _old wolf_ lectured me as if I had been a regular boodler, and then
imposed a fine which exceeded the amount in my possession by about three
dollars.

I asked what the penalty would be if I didn't pay.

He said I would have to go to jail.

"Well," said I, "I haven't money enough to pay my fine, and guess you
might as well lock me up for the whole thing as a part of it."

In answer to the query "how much cash I had," I laid it all on his desk;
and as he counted and raked it in, he said:

"Very well, I will suspend your sentence."

I then asked if I could have the privilege of selling the balance of the
day, so as to take in money enough to get out of town with.

He said I could.

I invoiced my stock in trade and found I had just thirteen bottles of
polish on hand, and immediately went to work.

The second house at which I called was a new and unfinished one, and I
was obliged to enter from the back way. I found three or four very
polite and pleasant ladies, to whom I showed my polish,--without
effecting a sale, however.

When ready to leave the house I noticed three doors in a row, exactly
alike. I was certain that the middle one was the one through which I had
entered. Accordingly, facing the ladies and politely thanking them for
their kind attention, and when just about saying good-bye, I opened the
door and stepped back to close it after me, when I heard one of the
ladies scream at the top of her voice.

It was too late.

I had disappeared--gone out of sight--where, I didn't know. But I
realized when I struck that I had alighted full weight on my valise of
furniture polish. It was total darkness, and I heard voices saying:

"What a pity! What a shame! Do send for some one."

Then the outside cellar door opened, letting in daylight as well as a
little light on the situation.

The lady of the house had quickly come to my rescue by this entrance.

She hastily explained that the house was unfinished, and that they had
not yet put stairs in their cellar-way, from the inside.

I thanked her for the kind information, but reminded her that it was
unnecessary to explain