“Yes,” sez he, “that is another evidence of the city’s marvellous power and resources.  Find me another city, if you can, where in a few hours 200 millions of dollars were burnt up, two thousand 100 acres burnt over, right in the heart of a big city, with a loss of two hundred and ninety million dollars, and then to have it spring up in a marvellously short time—­not only as good as new, but infinitely better; so much better that the disaster proved to be an untold blessing to the city.”

Truly, as I see, swamps couldn’t dround out his self-conceit, nor fire burn it up.

And I knew myself that Chicago had great reason to be proud of her doin’s, and I felt it in my heart, only I couldn’t bear to see Mr. Bolster act so haughty.

And I sez to my pardner, with quite a lot of dignity, “I guess it is time we are goin’, if we get to the Fair in any season.”

And Mr. Bolster to once told us what way would be best for us to go.  A good-natured creeter he is, without any doubt.

But jest as we wuz startin’ I happened to think of a errent that had been sent me by Jim Meesick, he that wuz Philura Meesick’s brother.

He wanted to get a place to work somewhere in Chicago, through the Fair, so’s to pay his way, and gin him a chance to go to the Fair.

I had already asked Miss Plank about it, but she didn’t know of no openin’ for him, and I happened to think, mebby Mr. Bolster, seein’ he knew everything else, might know of a place where Jim could get work.

And, sez I, “He is handy at anything, and I spoze there are lots of folks here in Chicago that hire help.  I spoze some of ’em have as many as four or five hired men apiece.”

Sez I, “There are them in Jonesville, durin’ the summer time, who employ as high as two men by the day, besides the regular hired man, and I spoze it is so here.”

“Yes,” sez he; “Mr. Pullmen has five thousand four hundred and fifty hired men, and Philip Armoor has seven thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.”

Wall, there wuz no more to be said.  Bolster had done what he sot out to do—­he had lowered my pride down lower than the Queen of Sheba’s ever wuz, by fur.  I had no sperit left in me.  He might have gone on to me by the hour, and I not sensed it.

But I didn’t let on how I felt.  I only sez weakly, “Wall, they hain’t a-sufferin’ for help, I guess, and I’ll write to Philura so.”

But Bolster, good-natured agin, sez, “I will look round, and see what I can do for him.”  And he snatched out a note-book, and writ his name down.  And I thanked him, and weakly follered my companion from the room.

And I felt that if the door had been much smaller I could have got out of it.  I felt very diminutive—­very—­almost tiny.  But I got over it pretty soon.  I felt about my usial size as we descended the stairs and stood on the steps, ready to sally out and take the street cars that wuz to transport our bodys to the Christopher Columbus World’s Fair.