student made a rather brilliant record in his
    studies but also fell in with a somewhat fast
    set of youths. In order to maintain his
    position he began to play heavily; lost, and
    used his credit with local shopkeepers
    recklessly. It is at this time also that we
    first hear of his drinking. The effects of a
    very little alcohol on Poe's constitution
    were devastating. He appears to have been a
    brilliant, but rather eccentric and decidedly
    nervous youth. Another cause of strain at
    this period was the unhappy "progress" of
    his love affair. Mr. and Mrs. Royster were
    evidently aware of the fact that young Poe
    was no longer regarded as an heir by his
    foster-father. They had, of course, soon
    learned of his love affair with their daughter
    and now brought pressure to break off the
    match. Poe's letters to his sweetheart were
    intercepted; Elmira was forbidden to write;
    the attentions of an eligible young bachelor,
    A. Barrett Shelton, were pressed upon her,
    and she was finally sent away for a while
    into safe keeping. In the meantime Mr.
    Allan was informed of the financial
    difficulties of his ward whose indebtedness
    is said to have totalled $2500. His anger
    jecame extreme, and upon the return of Poe
    to Richmond to spend the Christmas
    holidays of 1826, he was advised by his
    guardian that he could not return to the
    University.
      The opening weeks of 1827 were spent
     in Richmond in the most strained relation
     between young Poe and Mr. Allan. Poe's
     career at the University had no doubt been
     very unsatisfactory. On the other hand Mr.
     Allan's anger was implacable and extreme.
     He refused to pay any of his
    ward's debts of honor, or any other debts,
    thereby reducing the proud spirit of the
    youngster whom he had raised as his son to
    despair. The young Poe was pressed by
    warrants. His foster-father used the
    opportunity to insist upon his reading law
    and abandoning all literary ambitions. On
    this rock apparently they finally split. A
    violent quarrel took place between them in
    March, 1827, at the conclusion of which the
    young poet dashed into the street and went
    to an inn whence he wrote demanding his
    trunk, personal belongings and clothes.
    Several letters passed between the two
    without a reconciliation being effected.
    Their mutual grievances were rehearsed and
    Poe finally concluded, despite his utter
    destitution, to work his way North to
    Boston, then the literary capital of the
    United States. Mr. Allan it appears tried to
    interfere, but his wife and her sister seem to
    have supplied Poe secretly with a small

    




    sum of money by means of one of the
    slaves before the young man set out on his
    travels.
      Under the assumed name of Henri Le
     Rennet he left Richmond with one
     companion, Ebenezer Burling, and reached
     Norfolk, Va. Here Burling left him while
     Poe went by ship to Boston where he
     arrived almost penniless some time in
     April, 1827. He did not, as has so often
     been asserted, even by himself, go abroad.
     The dates of his known whereabouts taken
     from letters and documents at this time
     definitely preclude even the possibility of a
     European trip.
      In Boston there is some obscure evidence
     that Poe attempted to support himself by
     writing for a newspaper. It is certain,
     however, that while in Boston