went to see the office--our office--in Broadway, afterwards.
Just the thing--possibly a trifle small; but then we could enlarge in
time, eh? Not the slightest doubt. Brown of Philadelphia and I
excellent friends. He dined with me at an hotel that day--at my expense
on this occasion.

After dinner, arranged business matters as partners should do, drawing
up a deed of associationship, and so on. Brown of Philadelphia produced
roll of dollars in "greenbacks"--his share of the capital of our embryo
firm. I produced roll of "greenbacks"--my share of capital of embryo
firm. Both parcels sealed up; and given into Brown of Philadelphia's
custody, as senior partner, to deposit same in our joint names at a bank
on the morrow.

Brown of Philadelphia and I then parted with words and signs of mutual
respect and admiration; and I hied me to my Brooklyn lodgings in high
delight at the fortunate turn in my affairs.

Why, I would be rich in a few months; and then:--

What delightful dreams I had that night!

We were to meet again the next morning punctually at "ten sharp" at "the
office."

_I_ was there to the minute, but Brown of Philadelphia wasn't; and,
although I waited for him many subsequent minutes after the appointed
time, he never came--nor have I clapped eyes on him from that day to
this.

Faithless Brown! He robbed me of my belief in human nature, in addition
to my hoarded "greenbacks."

The office, I found, had been taken by the keen philanthropist for a
week, a few dollars of the rent being advanced by him as security on
account. On asking at the bank, which had in the first instance
satisfied me of his integrity, the cashier told me that Brown of
Philadelphia had drawn out all of his available balance the very
afternoon on which I had made my inquiries respecting him; and where he
was gone, no one knew!

"Skedaddled," evidently. As for shoddy celebrity, "up town," to whom
Brown of Philadelphia had also referred me, said that my friend had
swindled _him_ a short period before. Good joke, his being given as a
reference!

I put the affair in the hands of the police; but they gave me about as
much comfort as our guardians in blue would have done.

They said he had gone south. I went to Baltimore after him; but I could
not meet him, although I was full of determination and had taken a
revolver with me in case Brown might have his "shooting irons" handy!--
The blunderbuss that had belonged to the decea