f La Croix.

Of course, there were many who said, "I told you so," but they had not
done anything of the kind; we were all taken in without exception. His
wife was the last to lose confidence in his return. I followed up every
clue she could give me, but without results. He had disappeared as
completely as if the ground had opened and swallowed him up, and we
forgot him.

The war was fought out, and peace returned. A Connecticut regiment,
commanded by Colonel Brevet Brigadier General Thompson (I will call him
that for certain reasons) was mustered out in one of the chief cities of
that state, and nothing was too good for its gallant commander. He was
sought after socially, and by the business community, and soon became as
popular as La Croix had been in St. Peter. He married one of the most
beautiful and aristocratic young ladies of the state, and was appointed
to the position of general inspector of agencies of one of the great
insurance companies of Connecticut, and he decided to improve the
opportunity of his first tour as a pleasant way of passing his
honeymoon. So he started west with his confiding wife.

I forgot to mention that, when La Croix reached St. Paul, after leaving
St. Peter, he drew and cashed a small draft of a few hundred dollars on
his employer, and appropriated the proceeds.

Thompson's luck seemed to have deserted him on his wedding trip, as, on
arriving at Cleveland, Ohio, a citizen of St. Peter met and recognized
him as his old friend La Croix, and not knowing he was a brigadier
general slapped him familiarly on the shoulder and said: "Hello, La
Croix; I am glad to see you." The general was immensely indignant, and
spurned his new found friend, which angered the latter exceedingly, and
he at once telegraphed to St. Peter, and received a reply to have the
party arrested and held, which he did. The general wired to his
principals, setting forth his difficulty, saying it was all a case of
mistaken identity. They instructed their agent in Cleveland to go
General Thompson's bail for any amount required, which was done, and he
at once started for home to procure evidence, leaving his wife to await
his return, and that was the last seen of General Thompson for many
years. I believe, however, he was once recognized in Vienna.

Time passed; the West grew and expanded; many new states were added to
the Union; many immigrants were attracted to its fertile fields and
booming cities, very few of their nu