A MYSTERIOUS VISIT. 317 



He said he was. [I did not wish to appear ignorant, but I had hoped he would 

 mention what he had for sale.] ' 



I ventured to ask him " How was trade .' " And he said " So-so." 



I then said we would drop in, and if we liked his house as well as any other, we 

 would give him our custom. 



He said he thought we would like his establishment well enough to confine our- 

 selves to it — said he never saw anybody who would go off and hunt up another 

 man in his line after trading with him once. 



That sounded pretty complacent, but barring that natural expression of villainy 

 which we all have, the man looked honest enough. 



I do not know how it came about exactly, but gradually we appeared to melt 

 down and run together, conversationally speaking, and then everything went along 

 as comfortably as clockwork. 



We talked, and talked, and talked — at least I did; and we laughed, and laughed, 

 and laughed — at least he did. But all the time I had my presence of mind about 

 me — I had my native shrewdness -turned on "full head," as the engineers say. I 

 was determined to find out all about his business in spite of his obscure answers — 

 and I was determined I would have it out of him without his suspecting what I was 

 at. I meant to trap him with a deep, deep ruse. I would tell him all about iny 

 own business, and he would naturally so warm to me during this seductive burst 

 of confidence that he would forget himself, and tell me all about his affairs before 

 he suspected what I was about. I thought to myself. My son, you little know what 

 an old fox you are dealing with. I said — 



" Now you never would guess what I made lecturing this winter and last spring .? " 



" No— don't believe I could, to save me. Let me see — let me see. About two 

 thousand dollars, maybe .? But no ; no, sir, I know you couldn't have made that 

 much. Say seventeen hundred, maybe .' " 



" Ha ! ha! I knew you couldn't. My lecturing receipts for last spring and this 

 winter were fourteen thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. What do you 

 think of that?" 



" Why, it is amazing — perfectly amazing. I will make a note of it. And you 

 say even this wasn't all .' " 



