“Now, Harry, you don’t like Davis and I can’t blame you for it,” said Honest Abe before they parted.  “Don’t spoil our case by trying to take it out of his hide.  First we’ve got to take it out of his pocket.  When I get through there may not be any hide on him worth speaking of, but if there is you can have it and welcome.”

With the papers in his pocket Harry went on to the Honey Creek settlement.  There he found that the plague had spent itself and that Bim had gone to a detention camp outside the city of Chicago.  He rode on to the camp but was not permitted to see her, the regulations having become very strict.  In the city he went to the store of Eli Fredenberg.  The merchant received him with enthusiasm.  Chicago had begun to recover from the panic.  Trade was lively.  Eli wanted Harry to go to work in the store until he was prepared for the law.

“You must stay here until you haf got a wife already,” said the thoughtful Eli.  “It is bat for you and Bim to be not marrit so much.”

The young man favored both the commercial and the sentimental suggestions of Eli.  He had long felt the lure of that promising little city on the lake shore.

“I wish you’d take this complaint and serve it on Davis,” he said.  “I don’t want to see him if I can help it.  If you don’t mind, you can tell him that I’ve come to life and am here in the city and that if he kills me again he’d better do it while I’m looking.  It would be more decent.”

Eli was delighted with a task which promised a degree of discomfort to the man who had endeavored to ruin him.  Harry spent the afternoon with Mrs. Kelso and Bim’s baby boy.  The good woman was much excited by the arrival of the young soldier.

“We have had a terrible year,” she said.  “We couldn’t have lived through it without the help of a friend.  Bim went away to take care of the sick in the smallpox neighborhood.  She was rather discouraged.  Our friend, Mr. Davis, is in love with her.  She promised to marry him.  It seemed to be the only way out of our troubles.  But she will not even write to him now.  I think that she is very unhappy.”

“I shall not try to increase her troubles, but I shall prevent her from marrying Davis if I can,” said Harry.

“Why?”

“Because I think he is dishonest.”

“He has convinced me that all the reports are wrong,” Mrs. Kelso declared.  “I think that he is one of the kindest and best of men.”

“I shall not argue with you as to the character of my rival,” Harry answered.  “The facts will be on record one of these days and then you can form your own judgment.  I hope you won’t mind my coming here to see you and the baby now and then.”

“You are always welcome.  But Mr. Davis comes often and feeling as you do it might be unpleasant for you to meet him.”

“It would.  I’ll keep away until the air clears,” said Harry.