facturers, and conducts a wholesale business for himself. So much
for the unsophisticated country lad who had pluck and energy enough to
strike out upon the world, and aim for something better than a
clerkship in a country store.

Dr. Frank was still traveling for me when I ordered the agents in, and
was the last to respond, being about three days late. When I inquired
the reason, he replied that the last man he called upon to collect from
had shown a disposition to get out of paying the bill; and as that was
to be his last chance, he concluded to stay till he got either the
fellow's scalp or the amount due me. He got the latter. He then remarked
that while traveling through Dakota he had found a quarter-section of
Government land which he had taken as a homestead. He then returned
there.

The following fall who should turn up again but Dr. Frank, from Pierre,
Dakota, and on arriving here found himself "broke." He called on me and
said:

"Now, Johnston, you were the first to get me mixed up in this Doctor
business, and but for our experience in setting the old woman's ankle
and your dubbing me Doctor, I never would have thought of becoming a
physician. As it is, I am anxious to remain here during the winter and
attend medical lectures at Hahnemann College, and I know of no one
better able to loan me the money to do it with, than you."

"All right, Dr. Frank; you can call around every Saturday, when we are
paying off our help, and draw enough to meet your weekly expenses."

It is not necessary to say that he never missed a pay day.

It will be remembered that he had previously spent one winter attending
lectures at Ann Arbor. The following spring myself and wife by
invitation attended the commencement exercises of the college, and had
the pleasure of seeing him graduate, a full-fledged Doctor.

As I witnessed this little scene, the picture of Frank while pulling the
old woman's leg, and the knowing look he gave her after the ankle popped
back into its socket, came vividly before me. It seemed more like a
dream than a reality, when I shook him by the hand and congratulated him
on being a genuine M. D. He is now a successful practitioner at Baldwin,
Michigan, and has made an especially good record as a surgeon.
Experiencing but little difficulty in building up a lucrative practice,
he was not long in repaying me the amount borrowed for college expenses.

About this time Mr. Keefer made his first and only visit to C