nds were his hosts; he was desired in cou
Rowlee Frobish
a grand welcome to the new home, was also real. In life he was
James Lampton,
cousin to Mrs. Clemens, a gentle
and radiant
merchant of dreams, who believed himself heir
to an English earldom and was always on the verge of colossal fortune.
With others of the Lampton kin, he was already settled in Missouri and
had written back glowing accounts; though perhaps not more glowing than
those which had come from another relative, John Quarles, brother-in-law
to Mrs. Clemens, a jovial, whole-hearted optimist, well-loved
by all who knew him. It was a June evening when the Clemens family, with
the barouche and the two outriders, finally arrived in Florida, and the
place, no doubt,
seemed attractive enough then, however it may have appeared later. It
was the end of a long journey; relatives gathered with fond
welcome; prospects seemed bright. Already John Quarles had opened
a general store in the little town. Florida, he said, was certain to
become a city. Salt River
would be made navigable with a series of locks and dams.
He offered John Clemens a partnership in his business. Quarles, for that
time and place, was a rich man. Besides his store he had a farm and
thirty slaves. His brother-in-law's funds, or lack of
them, did not matter. The
two had married sisters. That was
capital enough for his hearty nature. So, almost on the moment of
arrival in the new land, John Clemens once more found himself
established in trade. The next thing w