seen Joan Salisbury lookin' healthier and
ez far ez I kin judge doin' more credit to her stock and raisin'
gin'rally," he said, thoughtfully combing his beard, "and I've seen her
when she was too poor to get the silks and satins, furbelows, fineries
and vanities she's flauntin' in now, and that was in Squire Blandford's
time, too, I reckon. Ez to her purtiness, that's a matter of taste. You
think her purty, and I guess them fellows ez was escortin' and squirin'
her round Frisco thought so too, or SHE thought they did to hev allowed
it."

"You are not very merciful to your townsfolk, Mr. Corwin," said
Demorest, with a forced smile; "but what can I do for you?"

It was the turn for Ezekiel's face to brighten, or rather to break up,
like a cold passionless mirror suddenly cracked, into various amusing
but distorted reflections on the person before him. "Townies ain't to
be fooled by other townies, Mr. Demorest; at least that ain't my idea
o' marcy, he-he! But seen you're pressin', I don't mind tellen you MY
business. I'm the only agent of Seventeen Patent Medicine Proprietors
in Connecticut represented by the firm of Dilworth & Dusenberry, of San
Francisco. Mebbe you heard of 'em afore--A1 druggists and importers.
Wa'al, I'm openin' a field for 'em and spreadin' 'em gin'rally through
these air benighted and onhealthy districts, havin' the contract for
the hull State--especially for Wozun's Universal Injin Panacea ez cures
everything--bein' had from a recipe given by a Sachem to Dr. Wozun's
gran'ther. That bag--leavin' out a dozen paper collars and socks--is all
the rest samples. That's me, Ezekiel Corwin--only agent for Californy,
and that's my mission."

"Very well; but look here, Corwin," said Demorest, with a slight return
of his old off-hand manner,--"I'd advise you to adopt a little more
caution, and a little less criticism in your speech to the people about
here, or I'm afraid you'll need the Universal Panacea for yourself.
Better men than you have been shot in my presence for half your
freedom."

"I guess you've just hit the bull's-eye there," replied Ezekiel, coolly,
"for it's that HALF-freedom and HALF-truth that doesn't pay. I kalkilate
gin'rally to speak my hull mind--and I DO. Wot's the consequence? Why,
when folks find I ain't afeard to speak my mind on their affairs, they
kinder guess I'm tellin' the truth about my own. Folks don't like the
man that truckles to 'em, whether it's in the sellin' of a box o