I ventured to ask him for the loan of some of his papers; then when I returned them he went to his trunk and took out a book of travels and gave it to me, saying: "Take that, please.

It will amuse you." At length we could see the smoke of the city of St.Louis, and I gave back to this stranger the book he had loaned me.

He said: "No, thank you." I was startled, and said with some surprise: "I do not know why you should do this to a stranger." He laughed and said: "You are not so much a stranger as you think.

Your name is Butler, is it not ?" "Yes." "And they mobbed you at Atchison ?" "Yes." "Well, please call on me at the office of the _Missouri Democrat."_ "And what is your name ?" "_They call me B.Gratz Brown_".
And so Providence had prepared the way for making my appeal to the people.

B.Gratz Brown had the preceding winter, at Jefferson City, either given or accepted a challenge to fight a duel; but the public authorities had interfered, and some business connected with this matter had called him to Jefferson City.