that was out of the question, for Heber Jackson had been carried off by
the typhoid epidemic, and Charlie had changed considerably during the
fifteen months which had elapsed since the image had been finished. And
now poor little Charlie himself was gone, and the great desire of his
father's heart was to regain possession of the image. With that view,
as soon as the sale should be over he would start for Springfield, tell
his story to Pomeroy, and offer him his money back again. As to any
further plans, he did not know, he said, what he would do, or where he
would go; but he would certainly never live in Peoria again.

In a few days the sale took place, and Gagtooth started for Springfield
with about three hundred dollars in his pocket. Springfield is seventy
miles from Peoria. He was to return in about ten days, by which time a
tombstone was to be ready for Charlie's grave. He had not ordered one
for his wife, who was not buried in the same grave with the child, but
in one just beside him.

He returned within the ten days. His journey had been a fruitless one.
Pomeroy had become insolvent, and had absconded from Springfield a
month before. No one knew whither he had gone, but he must have taken
the image with him, as it was not among the effects which he had left
behind him. His friends knew that he was greatly attached to the image,
in consequence of its real or fancied resemblance to his dead child.
Nothing more reasonable then than to suppose that he had taken it away
with him.

Gagtooth announced to me his determination of starting on an expedition
to find Pomeroy, and never giving up the search while his money held
out. He had no idea where to look for the fugitive, but rather thought
he would try California first. He could hardly expect to receive any