intelligent local statesman like Morton Bassett was hardly likely to
prove interesting. One of his earlier subjects had asked him
particularly to mention his library, which consisted mainly of
government reports.

"I've been a collector of Americana," Bassett remarked, throwing open
several cases. "I've gone in for colonial history, particularly, and
some of these things are pretty rare."

The shelves rose to the ceiling and Bassett produced a ladder that he
might hand down a few of the more interesting volumes for Dan's closer
inspection.

"Here's Wainwright's 'Brief Description of the Ohio River, With some
Account of the Savages Living Thereon'--published in London in 1732,
and there are only three copies in existence. This is Atterbury's
'Chronicle of the Chesapeake Settlements'--the best thing I have. The
author was an English sailor who joined the colonists in the Revolution
and published a little memoir of his adventures in America. The only
other copy of that known to exist is in the British Museum. I fished
mine out of a pile of junk in Baltimore about ten years ago. When I get
old and have time on my hands I'm going to reprint some of these--wide
margins, and footnotes, and that sort of thing. But there's fun enough
now in just having them and knowing the other fellow hasn't!"

He flung open a panel of the wainscoting at a point still free of
shelves and disclosed a door of a small iron safe which he opened with a
key. "This isn't the family silver, but a few little things that are
more valuable. These are first editions of American authors. Here's
Lowell's 'Fable for Critics,' first edition; and this is Emerson's