Mr.—­was well off, and, withal, a man who could brook no dictation, in his business.  His journeymen were paid their regular wages, and had, he knew, no right to say whom he should employ; and for any such interference he promptly resolved to teach them a lesson.  He was, moreover, indignant that a parcel of men, many of whom spent more money at the taverns and in foolish expenses, in the week, than the poor forsaken mother of a young babe could earn in that time, should heartlessly endeavour to rob the more than widow of her hard-earned mite.

“I will sacrifice half that I am worth, before I will yield to such dictation,” was his only answer to the demand.  The foolish men “struck,” and turned out to lounge idly in taverns and other places, until their employer should come to terms.  They were, however, soon convinced of their folly; for but a few weeks elapsed before Mr. had employed females to make his cigars, who could afford to work for one-third less than the journeymen had been receiving, and make good wages at that.  The consequence was, that the men who had, from motives of selfishness, endeavoured to deprive Mrs. W. of her only chance of support, were unable to obtain work at any price.  Several of them fell into idle and dissolute habits, and became vagabonds.  Other manufacturers of cigars followed the example of Mr.—­, and lessened the demand for journeymen; and the result in this instance was but a similar one to that which always follows combinations against employers—­viz:  to injure the interests of journeymen.

It was not long before Coulson found out the retreat of Mrs. Warburton, and commenced his persecutions.  The note of her husband had fallen due, and his first movement was to demand the payment.  Perceiving, however, at once, that to make the money out of any property in her possession was impossible, he changed his manner, and offered to befriend her in any way that lay in his power.  For a moment she was thrown off her guard; but remembering the caution she had received, she assumed a manner of the most rigid coldness towards him, and told him that she already had friends who would care for her.  The next day she managed to apprize the clerk in the Stage Office of the visit of Coulson, who promptly took measures to alarm his fears, for he was a coward at heart, and effectually prevent his again troubling her.

Little of an interesting nature occurred for about a year, when she received a letter from her husband at Cincinnati.  He stated that having despaired of getting along in the business he had entered into on leaving—­which had involved him in debt, he had left with a company of traders for Mexico, and had just returned with a little money, with which he wished to go into business.  But that if he returned to—­, he would be troubled, and all he had taken from him.  He enclosed her a hundred dollar note, and wished her to come to him immediately, and to leave—­without letting any one know her destination.  He professed much sorrow for having left her in so destitute a condition, but pleaded stern necessity for the act.