s
living with relatives. Palmer had not contributed to her support in
years. One of the girls was cashier in a store in Kansas City, the other
a nurse in a sanatarium.

Palmer died of alcoholic dementia only a year or two ago.

Jake is living in Bedford; he began where he left off--on the farm. When
Alfred met Jake he summed up his panorama experience thusly: "Balmur
cheated us all; he cheated everybody und got no good oudt uv it. He
stoled the letters I wrote you und made you badt frednts mit me. But it
iss all gone now and so iss Balmur. I dond't know vich vay he iss gone.
He sed I valked straight into hell mit der panorama; I hope he valks
straight oudt of it. If he does get in I'll bet dey haff a hard yob to
keep him dere; he neffer stays no place long; und I'll bet dey'll be
gladt ven he leaves--dat iss if he makes es much troubles in hell as he
didt mit der panorama."

It is not necessary to state that Palmer sent Jake to a place he never
intended visiting with the panorama. Jake, confused and deceived, made
his way home.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Something each day--a smile,
It is not much to give,
But the little gifts of life
Make sweet the days we live.

The world appears different to different persons; to one it is dull, to
another bright. Contentment has much to do with it. The pleasant and
interesting happenings crowded into the life of one being may arouse
envy in another.

The man of genius, the man of imagination will note things in the
every-day trend of human affairs that will enrich his memory, store it
with wisdom. The man of dulled faculties will never see things in this
world as does he who is of a higher intelligence. Two men may travel in
a country strange to them, their impressions of the customs, habits of
the people, conditions and appearances of the land, will be widely
different.

After Alfred's return from the tour with the panorama he became the Sir
Oracle of the town. The shoe-shops of Frank McKernan and Nimrod Potts
were the gathering places of those who came to hear the stories that
Alfred had collected in his travels. Previously the atmosphere of the
two shoe-shops had been different. McKernan's shop was the gathering
place of those who lived under the teachings of Thomas Jefferson, they
were Democrats; the audiences at Pott's shop had formerly been composed
of abolitionists.

Nimrod Potts had been an avowed abolitionist.

A change had come over him,