Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1856-01-31

Mr.. Thomas Sparkes sat up in bed, contem-
plating these words, written on slip of
stamped paper. A letter accompanied it, to
which Mr.. Sparkes now turned. 1t ran thus :
Dear Sir Please accept the enclosed as ar
ranged, and return it to me.
Yours, most obediently, JACOB SHEARS
@Very good, said Mr.. Sparkes and getting
out of bed, he seized pen and wrote across
the slip of stamped paper 'Accepted-Thom-
as Sparkes.'
Having enclosed the document in an envel-
ope, addressed to Mr.. Jacob Shears, High
Holborn, MIR. Sparkes tumbled into bed again,
appearing inwardly to 'thank goodness that
that fellow was paid.
need not explain the circumstances which
led to the above transaction between Mr.
Thomas Sparkes, gent, and Mr.. Jacob
Shears, tailor, &c. The acute reader will
have already perceived that Mr. Thomas
Sparkes owed Mr.. Jacob Shears, tailor, for
clothes supplied, the sum of f4O I2s., 3d.,
and that Mr.. Jacob Shears, wearying of call
ing again tomorrow, and made sick by the
deferred hope of the death of Mr.. Sparkes'
rich aunt, who had been on the point of pay
ing the bill by her demise any time during the
last eighteen months, had, at length, resorted
to bill, in the hope of realizing his just de-
mands by the screw of the law.
To man who is looking forward 10 his
quarters salary, three months is long time
but TO man who has bill to take up at the
end of that period, three months is no time at
all. The three months which intervened be-
tween the signing of Shears bill and the ar
rival of the same at maturity, passed rapidly
away. Mr.. Tom Sparkes could hardly believe
his eyes when he received notice that the bill
would fall due tomorrow. Tomorrow came,
and the bill was presented, and Mr.. Tom
Sparkes was not prepared TO take it up, and
why, of course, the bill was dishonored. A
few days passed, and visitor made his ap-
Pearance at Mr.. Sparkes' lodgings at an early
hour, in fact, before Mr.. Sparkes had finished
his nights rest; and Mr.. Sparkes was in
formed, from the landing, that a gentleman be-
low wished to speak with him. The 'sIavey,'
as Mr.. Sparkes called her, was requested TO
ask the gentleman name. please, sir, the
gentleman says his name is Thompson Now
Sparkes had particular friend of the name of
Thompson, and he hurried on his clothes, ca
ger to press his friends hand On reaching
the foot of the stairs, he encountered a short
man with shaven cheeks, an alpaca hat, and
knobby stick. The individual was clearly not
Sparkes' friend Thompson. He was Thomp-
son, though and politely arresting Mr..
Sparke's progress, he presented him with
slip of paper, apologizing for the disagreeable
duty he had to perform in the most polite man
ner, and hoping Mr.. Sparkes would settle the
amount of debt and costs by certain date, to
save further expenses.
Mr.. Sparkes returned to his room with the
sensation of having been served with a writ
a sensation 10 which trust, every one of my
readers is stranger.
MIR. Tom Sparkes was sufficiently old in the
ways of the world to know that it was little
uoO SOluS W AOuCdiS " dSh lOI llluS 1lS
knew very well that Shears would declare that
he had paid the bill away-that it was not in
his hands-and that he had no power to arrest
the proceedings. So he went to his aunt
The old lady was obduraie. The terrors OF
Judgment could not extract sovereign from
her. Repulsed by his aunt, Sparkes had no
resource but to appeal TO his uncle. Tom
knew well that that benevolent relation was
ready TO listen to any appeal which was suf-
fciently backed up by security. Tom haG
none to offer; positively none. To be sure,
he had siver'watch, gold signet ring, a sill
yer mounted meerschaum, cornet-a-piston,
revolver, and torquoise shirt-pin. But what
were all these in the scale against f4O l2s
3d. Sparkes felt they were but as f2 los.
scarcely enough to cover the cosls
Nearly fortnight had passed in fruitIess
efforts TO raise the needful, and no less fruitless
excogitations how to evade the impending ven-
geance of the law, when Sparkes received a
letter from his friend Jones. Jones was in the
law, and his letter ran thus Dear Sparkes ::
in the way of business, learn that judg-
ment has been signed against you for f4O.
odd, at the suit OF Grabbins & Goa cloth mer-
chants, Gresham Street. Nuff sed. Your
friend, Harry Jones'
Mr.. Sparkes' belongings were few: they
might all have been pit into carpet-bag in
five minutes. As if to prove the possibility of
the thing, Mr.. Sparkes crammed them all in
to his bag in half that time. To settle with
the landlady, and bestow six-pence upon the
'slavey,' was the work of moment the next,
Mr.. Sparkes was in the street.
Whittier should he fly! All! a man in an
alpaca hat was lettering at the end of the
street. Mr.. Sparkes took the opposite drec-
tion. A few steps brought him in view of a
man with knobby stick. Sparkes turned
hastily to the right The number of suspic-
Ious men in alpaca hats, carrying knobby
sticks, about the streets that morning was in
credible. They loitered at every post, started
up at every corner, and stood sentry at every
turning. At length, after much walking, Mr..
Sparkes found himself in Chancery Lane
Looking up suddsnly.he observed written on