"Never mind, now--leave him alone. You've no account with him but a

money account. I'll take care of that myself."

The distressed and worried landlady gave Barrow a fervently grateful look

for his championship of the abused stranger; and the pet of the house, a

very prism in her cheap but ravishing Sunday rig, blew him a kiss from

the tips of her fingers and said, with the darlingest smile and a sweet

little toss of her head:

You're the only man here, and I'm going to set my cap for you, you dear

old thing!"

For shame, Puss! How you talk! I never saw such a child!"

It took a good deal of argument and persuasion--that is to say, petting,

under these disguises--to get Tracy to entertain the idea of breakfast.

He at first said he would never eat again in that house; and added that

he had enough firmness of character, he trusted, to enable him to starve

like a man when the alternative was to eat insult with his bread.

When he had finished his breakfast, Barrow took him to his room,

furnished him a pipe, and said cheerily:

Now, old fellow, take in your battle-flag out of the wet, you're not in

the hostile camp any more. You're a little upset by your troubles,

The American Claimant