friends and had married the daughter of one of the wealthiest hide
and leather brokers in the "swamp."

I do not know why, but in my first interview with this man I took
an aversion to him. I tried to convince Mr. Derham that I could
do better without a partner, but he thought otherwise, and not
unnaturally, under the circumstances, I allowed matters to take
their course as he planned them, and the partnership was made for
a period of three years.

Early in November Mr. Derham sailed for England, leaving as his
successor the firm of Bulkley & Stowe.




CHAPTER II

I MEET MY AFFINITY



My home was in Brooklyn. On my mother's side the family came from
the old Dutch settlers of that section of Greater New York. My
mother's father was a commissioned officer in the war of 1812. My
father came from Connecticut, of English ancestry. I used to tell
my mother the only thing I could never forgive her was that I was
born in Brooklyn, and I have never gotten over my dislike for the
place, though it is nearly thirty years since I left there.