She became reconciled, and in a few weeks found a responsible party who paid her a good rental for the house and furniture, and leased it for a term of years.

CHAPTER XXII.

OUT OF A POSITION--MOVED TO ANN ARBOR--HOW I MADE A RAISE--A RETURN TO FURNITURE POLISH--SELLING EXPERIENCE--HAULING c.o.kE--MY SUMMER CLOTHES IN A SNOW-STORM--A GLOOMY CHRISTMAS--AN ATTACK OF BILIOUS FEVER--ESTABLISHING AN ENFORCED CREDIT--THE PHOTOGRAPH I SENT MY MOTHER--ENGAGED AS AN AUCTIONEER AT TOLEDO, OHIO--MY FIRST SALE.

The leasing of the hotel by the landlady threw me out of a position, and at a time when cold weather had set in, and I had spent all the money I had received for the horses, besides the salary I had drawn, in clothing my wife and boy comfortably. I had intended to provide myself with winter clothing with my next month's salary, but the change came too suddenly for me. Consequently I was left with my summer clothes, and a dozen bottles of Furniture and Piano Polish as stock in trade.

As soon as I saw there was going to be a change in the hotel, I wrote to an old lady in Ann Arbor, whose name was given me by a medical student, making inquiries about furnished rooms for light housekeeping.

She wrote in reply that she could rent me one room suitable for that purpose, at one dollar per week. We decided to go there, as we could not procure furnished rooms in Pontiac for light housekeeping, besides I considered Ann Arbor a good town to operate in.

I had just money enough to pay our traveling expenses, and explained to my wife we had better leave on the morning train, which would get us into Ann Arbor at two o'clock in the afternoon. And as that day would be Sat.u.r.day, I could "hus'le" out and sell polish enough to pay our rent and buy provisions for over Sunday.

She agreed with me and we started accordingly. But our train was belated by a freight train being ditched, so we did not reach our destination till six o'clock that night without a single cent in our pockets.

The night was dark and gloomy and the snow flying, while I hus'led around in my low-cut shoes, high-water pants, summer ulster and a straw hat. We walked nearly all over the town, following directions given by first one fool and then another, lugging the boy and our baggage, searching for Mrs. Hogan, corner of Second and Ann streets. At last we reached the place and I introduced myself as the one who had engaged a room of her by letter. After explaining to the old lady that we had just arrived from Pontiac, she looked us over carefully and remarked:

"You didn't walk did you?"

I replied that we had come part of the way on the cars, and then I told her of our march around town.

I noticed at once that she was anxious about her rent, as we had taken possession. So I said to my wife:

"Well I must go out instantly to find those parties, or I wont be able to see them till Monday. I will be back just as soon as I possibly can, so you must not worry. Mrs. Hogan will you direct me to a wood yard?"

"Never mind the wood Mr. Johnston. It will be impossible to get a load delivered to-night. I will let you have enough to last over Sunday."

We thanked her and she left the room.

Then my wife said she had often told her parents that she was sure of three meals a day as long as I lived, but she guessed I was cornered for once in my life.

"But," said I "if it were only one meal that we were liable to miss it would not be so terrible, but here it is late Sat.u.r.day and if I can't raise enough for supper, I certainly can't for over Sunday. But this is what the preacher termed a 'wood-chuck case' and something must be done at once."

She didn't understand what the wood-chuck case meant, till I told her that it simply meant we were "out of meat."

I picked up my little valise, containing twelve bottles of Furniture Polish and started out. I walked down town, not knowing what to do. The snow was flying through my straw hat and the wind whistling around me at a terrible rate as I stood on the corner wondering where to go next. I looked up street and saw a meat market to which I was naturally attracted. Although the gentleman in attendance was very busy, I rushed in with:

"How are you this evening sir? I am glad to find you when you have time to look at my wonderful preparation for renovating furniture, I'll show you how nicely it operates right here on your desk."

Then as I began polishing it up, I rattled on at lightning speed, explaining how perfectly dry it would become in less than a minute from the time it was applied leaving no chance for dust or dirt to settle and stick upon the furniture it was not in the least sticky or gummy to the fingers giving no displeasure in using a cloth--any lady could apply it and easily renovate her own furniture it would remove all fly specks from picture frames and brackets as well as stained furniture caused by hot dishes hot water cologne camphor or medicine and----

"And for goodness sake, what else?" cried he. "Will it make you stop talking if I'll take a bottle?"

"Yes sir, I always stop then."

"How much is it a bottle?" he asked.

"One dollar, and I want but fifty cents in cash and the balance in steak."

He was about to say he would take it, when he asked who in thunder I was, anyhow, and if I had ever patronized him, and stated that he didn't remember ever seeing me before.

I now realized that the moment had arrived when to decide the meat question. I had got to be equal to the occasion. Looking up at him, I confidently said:

"Well, for Heaven's sake! Don't you remember my little red-headed brother that comes in here after meat every day?"

"Oh, yes, that little hair-lipped cuss," said he. I laughed, said:

"Well, he isn't a bad sort of a lad, when you get acquainted with him."

He then cut off four pounds of steak and gave me, with fifty cents cash, and I departed in much better spirits than when I called. I then made a bee-line for the nearest grocery store; and although I found the proprietor very busy I managed to get his attention, and after showing him my preparation on one of his show-cases, succeeded in selling him a bottle for one dollar.

I offered to take it in groceries, but he said he preferred to pay cash, and let me do the same when I patronized him. I invested seventy-five cents in potatoes, coffee, sugar, etc., and then started for a bakery, where I came in contact with a lady. She fought me very hard, but I needed bread, and worked like a trooper to get it without parting with the few shillings I had. I at last succeeded in getting her so far interested as to ask the price.

Realizing that her intuitive quickness and shrewdness surpa.s.sed that of my two gentlemen patrons, and that she evinced but little interest, anyhow, I reduced the price to fifty cents, and offered to take half in trade and the balance in cash. This she agreed to, and I very soon departed with my arms full of provisions, and one dollar in cash.

I then visited Tremain's drug store, and ordered more Polish put up, to be ready the following Monday.

I went directly home, more pleased with my success than anything I had ever before accomplished. Nor can I now remember of ever succeeding in anything since, that gave me more satisfaction. As I entered the room, about nine o'clock, with my arms loaded with packages, my wife sang out:

"Little late, but still in the ring."

With grim irony I replied: "And the villain still pursued her."

However, I appreciated the joke as much as she did; and we were but a few moments in preparing a meal that each p.r.o.nounced the best we had ever partaken of.

Our landlady looked in upon us again that night, when I handed her the dollar due for rent, saying as I did so, that I might as well pay it then as to wait till Monday.

We felt quite comfortable, and congratulated ourselves on our success in pulling through, and making such a narrow escape.

My wife's faith in the three-meals-a-day theory was strengthened more than ever after this; and I felt myself that I had come about as near missing a meal as I would probably ever again experience.

When Monday morning came I was ready for business with my nine bottles of Polish.

The first house I visited was a large stone front, showing the owner to be a man of wealth. I noticed the front window blinds were closed, and as it was Monday morning I concluded that the lady of the house would likely be found at the side door, or possibly overseeing in the laundry.

The latter I found to be the case, and when I rang the bell she answered it herself. Upon seeing me with my valise, she slammed the door in my face, and I heard the bolt shove, as though expecting me to attempt to break in.

This exasperated me more than the rebuff, and I could feel my hair standing straight up almost piercing my straw hat. I started around toward the front of the house, expecting to try the next neighbor. When I neared the front steps, I was seized with a determination to either get into that house or make the old lady some trouble for her impudence.

So I ran up and pulled the bell vigorously several times. Directly I heard the doors opening and closing and a general rustling about through the rooms, when suddenly the front door opened just far enough to admit me and I landed in the hall-way with a single bound. The lady recognized me and said:

"Here you are again."

"Yes'm here I am and I am here to convince you that I am no house-burglar nor highway robber I am here with a valuable article which you can not afford to be without nor can any other housekeeper and were I to leave without showing it you would always pride yourself on getting rid of one impostor I must insist on showing you the value of my preparation which I can do on the hat-tree here in the hall."

I then began polishing, and kept up a ceaseless run of talk, much to the disgust of her highness, who insisted that all peddlers and agents were tramps, virtually speaking. I managed however, to do most of the talking and at last convinced her from its rapid drying qualities that it was almost indispensable. I then closed a sale with her, and as she had been so very courteous and complimentary in her opinion of agents and peddlers, I let her have two bottles for three dollars.