The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-30
to the fifth floor, shall go too, sir. What
is good enough for her is good enough for

The result was that Mrs. Lincoln was slowed
away in little three-cornered, meanlyi fur
nished room, on the 6fth floor. At dinner
time "AIrs. Ketchley" was shown into the
ner Of the room. She was giving her orders,
when the steward came forward and "grufhy''
said:
'sYou are in the wrong ROOM"
81 was brought here by the waiter" re-
piled.
ut makes no difference, will find you an
other place whsre you can get your dinner;
I got no from the table and followed him,
and when outside of the door, said to him:
1T is very strange that you should permit
me to be seated at the table in the dining-room
only for the sake Of ordering me to leave it
the next moment"
care you not Mrs. Clarke's servant? ?" was
| his abrupt question.
II am with Mrs. Clarke"
s'It is all the same; servants are not allowed
to eat in the large dining-room. Here, this
way; you must take your dinnerin the servants
hail."
Hungry and Inundated as was was will
ing to follow to any place to get my dinner, for
had been riding all day, and had not tasted
mouthful since early morning.
On reaching the servants hall we found the
door Of the room locked. The waiter left me
standing in the passage while he went to in
form the clerk Of the tact.
In few minutes the obsequious clerk came
clustering down the hall:
"Did you come out OF the street, or Tom
Mrs. Clarke's room?"
"From Mrs. Clarke's room," meekly an
swered. NY gentle words seemed to quiet
him, and then he explained:
lit is after the regular hour for dinner.
The room is locked up, and Annie has gone out
with the key"
My pride would not let me stand longer in
| the hall
every WE'LL I" 1 remarked, as began climb.
ing the stairs, "I will tell Mrs. Clarke that
cannot get any dinner"
He looked after me, with scowl on his face:
You need not put on airs! understand
the whole thing"
I said nothing, but continued to climb the
stairs, thinking to myself: well, if you under
stand the whole thing, it is strange that you
should put the widow Of ex-President Abraham
Lincoln in a three-cornered room in the attic
of this miserable hotel"
When reached Mrs. Lincoln's room tears OF
humiliation and ve1ation we're in my eyes.
MRS, LINCOLN IN THE WARDROBE MARKET.
Mrs. Lincoln looked over morning paper,
and finally decided to select the firm Of W.
81. Brady & Co., No. GOO Broadway, to
dispose of the articles she wished to sell. She
went to their establishment and tried to sell
them lot Of iewelry, giving her name as Mrs.
Clarke. She met MIR. Judd, and they we're
unable to agree about the price. MIR. Reyes,
member of the firm, came in, and in looking
over the jewelry discovered Mrs. Lincoln's
name inside one Of the rings. Mrs. Lincoln
says:
I had forgotten the ring, and when I saw
him looking at the name so earnestly, l
snatched the bauble from him and put it into
nv pocket. hastily gathered up my Jewelry
and started out. They asked for my address,
and LETT my card, Mrs. Clarke, at the st.
Denis Hotel.
Mr.. Keyes called to see Mrs. Clarke, and was
elated to find tina. she was Mrs. Lincoln.
He was an earnest Republican, was much
affected by her story, and denounced the in
gratitude of the government in the severest
terms. She complained to him Of the treat
ment she had received at the st. Denis, and he
advised her to move to another hotel FORTH
with.
The party went to Earle's Hotel in Canal
street, but it was full, so they drove to Union
Place Hotel. Messrs. Keyes and Brady called
often to see Mrs. Lincoln, and were sure that
if she would place her affairs in their hands
they could raise for her 100000 in few
weeks. The following narrative will be of in
terest:
We remained quietly in the Union Place
Hotel for few days. On Sunday Mrs. Lincoln
accepted the use Of q private carriage, and, &c,
companied by me, she drove cut to. Central
Park. We did not enjoy the ride much, as the
carriage was q close one, and we could not open
the window for fear Of being recognized by
some of the many thousands in the park. Mrs.
| Lincoln wore heavy veil so as to more etfec-
| tually conceal her face.
| We came near being run into, and we had
spasm of alarm, for an accident would Il &c
| exposed US to public gaze, and OF cur me
MASQUERADE would have been at Eli eI /. On
Tuesday hunted up q number OF dealers in
secondhand clothing, and had them call at the
hotel by appointment. Mrs Lincoln soon dis
covered that they were hard people to drive
bargain with, SO on Thursday we got into q
close carriage, taking a bundle OF dresses and
shawls with US, and drove to number OF
stores on Seventh avenue, where an attempt
was made TO dispose OF portion OF her ward
robe. The dealers wanted the goods for little
or nothing, and we found it o hard matter to
drive bargain with them. Mrs. Lincoln met
the dealers squarely, but all OF her tIct ana
shrewdness failed to accomplish much. do
not care to dwell upon this portion OF my story.
Let i. answer to say, that we returned to the
hotel more disgusted than ever with the busl-
ness in which We were engaged. There was
much curiosity at the hotel in relation to us,
as our movements were watched, and we we're
regarded with suspicion.
Our trunks in the main hall below were ex-
amined daily, and curiosity was more keeniy
excited when the argu:-eyed reporters for the
press traced Mrs. Lincolns name on the cover
of one OF her trunks. The letters had bee
rubbed out, but the faint outlines remained, and
| these outlines only served to stimulate curlos-
! ity. Messrs. Kevs and Brady called often, aud
they made Mrs. Lincoln believe that, If she
consented, they would devise q scheme winch
promised to place good bank account TO her
credit. At different times in her room at
the Union Place Hotel she wrote the we'll
known letters which were published III the
papers as coming from Chicago. MIR. Bradyy
proposed to show the letters to certain poltl-
clans on threat 10 publish them II his de-
mands, as Mrs. Lincoln's agent, were not conf
piled with. ,.,.:.
The book informs US that Mr.. Brady exhibit
ed the letters quite freely, but the parties 10
whom they were shown refused to make any
| advances.
Meanwhile cur stay at the Unio Place Ho"
tel excited so much curiosity that sudden
movement was rendered exoedient to avoid
discovery We sent the large trunks to GUY
Broadway, packed the smaller ones: PAID our
bills at tile hotel, and one morning hastily de,
parted for the country, wnere we renamed
three days. The movement was successful.
The keen-eyed reporters for the daily papers,
were thrown off the scent, and when We returned
to the city we took rooms at the Brandreth
House, where Mrs. Lincoln registered as Mrs
Morris"