We arrived in Paris about seven o'clock in the morning. Engaging a four-wheeler we were driven to our hotel, which was situated about a block from the Champs Elysees, the most beautiful boulevard in that wonderful city. After enjoying a good breakfast we repaired to our room, where we discussed the situation, and, I regret to say, it proved a serious one. We found that our friends, McDuff and Saunders, had spent all the money they had, with the exception of a few francs. Hubert Collins had about enough to carry him to New York, and I had something like seventy-five francs (fifteen dollars). Three days later Collins left Paris for London, from which place he sailed for New York. We three other fellows remained in Paris, expecting money by every mail, but we had to content ourselves with mere expectations, for letters containing the money never came. We soon realized that our situation was becoming a desperate one, and that we must do something, for our little supply of funds was diminishing daily. Finally we decided on advertising in the Paris edition of the _New York Herald_, thinking that perhaps this would bring us an opportunity for some sort of work. Our advertisement read: Three young Americans, university education, desire position doing anything. Address X Y Z, _New York Herald_. We paid for the insertion of our advertisement in three editions and departed the office feeling that this would surely bring us something. Three days later we received a letter, which read, X Y Z, Herald. GENTLEMEN: Noticed your advertisement in the _Herald_ this morning and would be glad to see you at my rooms this evening between hours of 6 and 8. Very truly yours, K. M. POE. In reading this our hearts beat with joy, for we anticipated great things. McDuff planned keeping his position for six months, so that he could learn to speak the French language. I readily decided to do the same, while Saunders expressed his desire of working only long enough to get money to pay his hotel bill and secure a ticket to London. At the time appointed we called at the gentleman's rooms, which were in the Standard Hotel, and he proved to us a notable disappointment. He proposed to teach us a game by which we could easily break the bank at Monte Carlo and thereby win our fortunes. He said, of course we would have to begin with about a thousand francs. This gentleman, as he termed himself, proved such a disappointment to us that we decided to have some amusement, so we praised his scheme highly and advised him that we would certainly return the following evening. Several days later we left for London, and you may be sure we did not keep our appointment with the would be prince of schemers.