at town next,
I determined to rout my Boyne City customer up at once, sell him what he
needed, and take the first boat.

He lived over his store, and as there was an outside stair-way, I went
up and called and rapped loudly on the door.

The dog barked furiously, and judging from the noise, must have knocked
the cook-stove down, and the cat got covered up in a tin boiler and made
a terrible racket; the children began screaming, and my customer's wife
shouted "murder!" at the top of her voice. I stood my ground, and kept
rapping. He grabbed the old shot-gun and yelled:

"Who is there?"

"Johnston."

"Johnston the fisherman?"

"No."

"Johnston from the lumber camp?"

"No sir, Johnston the jewelry-man."

"From Chicago?"

"Yes sir, from Chicago; and I want to sell you a bill of jewelry right
away."

"Goodness' sakes! Can't you call to-morrow?"

"No sir; business is too brisk. I must sell to you to-night so I can
leave on the morning boat."

The whole family got up and came down stairs in the store, and I
finished up with them about five o'clock in the morning, after selling a
large bill of goods.

On my arrival at Charlevoix I found several traveling men at the hotel,
and among them one who was traveling for a wholesale grocery house.
While I was busy arranging my jewelry before calling on my customers, I
heard this man say:

"I had big sales yesterday. I sold a car-load each of rice, nutmegs,
cinnamon and pepper, besides three hundred barrels of flour, and as many
chests of tea."

On hearing this statement I immediately recognized the voice, and
remembered having heard the same story before, somewhere. Upon looking
at the speaker I also recognized his face, and turning to those present,
said:

"Gentlemen, I know this man sold that many goods, for I heard him tell
the same story at St. Mary's, Ohio, about four years ago, and I know
it's true or he wouldn't keep telling it."

Of course he was offended and insulted, and denied the charge; but when
I recalled to his mind the hat trade I made with him and the dollar he
paid me to boot, he laughed, and said he remembered it; but he laughed
more heartily when I told him it was a put-up job, and how glad I was to
get the dollar. I then gave him a nice rolled-plate vest-chain--an
article he very much needed, and which made him feel that his dollar had
been well invested.

When the first of January came I found myself in very good shape, with a
satisfact