The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-25

overdone with
the tcncts Of
4 professional etiquette than any man
] who has been out of his articles nearly
a ten years. My time was served with
u ccie DRAFTED firm in Lincoin's Inn, who
4 would have tainted ut the proposition
y OF their doing any police court bust
ness, and would sooner have ceased
q practising than have seen their name
j ON company promoters prospectus.
j l, however, had my own way to make
Ill the world, and, despite what pro-
fcssional etiquette might dictate, all
was grist that came to my mill. For
two or three years there seemed more
4 grit than grist in the legal machinery
i set up in little third floor Office in
Chancery Lane, of which was the
engineer. But people got worse, SO
i times got bcttcr-for solicitors. have
always been little inclined toward
journalism ana many Of my best and
most intimate friends arc Fleet street
scribes.
i One evening. ! remember, had nc
4 ccptcd an invitation TO dine with the
dramatic critic of popular Sunday
paper, and delightful evening we
! had. We most certainly gave the lie
direct 10 those who thinl, and foolishly
d circulate the idea that when prcssmen
meet together they invariably dine
4 mot wisely but too we'll"
y When arrived ut the Monaco. a very
favorite resort for literary men and
foreigners, my friend was there with
/ another man.
My friend, Mr.. Van Scoup," The said
by way OF introduction, rs he put his
4 hand very Familiarity on the shoulders of
IL typical American. Broad-shouldered,
tall ncatly-drcssed. though not quite
Il III English fashion, there was an air of
i good nature and an honest open OK
preston about Mr.. Van Scoup which I
could not fail TO notice immediately.
Pm real pleased to see you, SIR" he
replied, MS he extended his hand and
7 shook mine, little thinking he was
4 driving siSnct ring right into it.
1t would be impossible TO explain or
4 even mention the heads Of all the topics
touched upon. "reminiscences, expert
enccs, yarns, and bon mots were the
order OF very pleasant evening. Van
Scoup broke the run-in which, by the
y way, he had taken his fair share.
80 you're IN attorney, thcn?, adj
a dressing me.
Yes, am, worse luck"
"Ah! business slack, then?"
"No, not that cxuctly; but it's hum
drum work ut the best, not exciting
Il enough. Now Il man like you is meet
y ing with fresh experiences every day.
and lifc's not run in Il groove and tied
i mp III red tape"
Il "Ah!' exclaimed our mutual friend
i the critic, ''the same old tale. Van
\ Scoup; the business that anyone could
4 have made pay is always another
q mans.
We all three laughed, and saw the
4 truth OF his words. Van Scoup thought
II moment then he looked Owe. at me
4 in critical sort of way.
i do you want real, live, exciting
sort OF job, no red tape about it?"
Lets hear about it," replied.
well, I've made my pile, SO it's not
much consequence to me; but there's
#'onc man or the face of Gods earth.
3 and if could lay my hands on him I'd
i be worth another fifty thousand"
4 "Dollars?" the critic suggested. in
4 his matter-of-fact way
d We'll, it doesn't matter for our pur-
pose whether it's dollars or pounds-I
want the man."
"Is that the case you want me to
take up"
That's it. and if you can hunt him
down anywhere Pll give you enough
,dollars-or pounds, if you like" look
ing ut our critical friend, who laughed,
ito make It the best days work you
ever did in Your life"
whats lie likc-how does he mean
SO much TO you-whcn was he seen
last"' l exclaimed, as fast as could.
III answer that last right off-hc's
tho dead image Of mc-as like as the
halves OF split pcn-what you call
over here my double"
"But how can you get the money
from hin? It's not criminal offcnsc
to be a mans double
"You find the man and he'll know
right off whether I'm going to get the
dollars or not"
"But does he differ from you in moth
ing?n
well, that's the most extraordinary
thing in the whole bag of tricks, for
he's got his initials tattooed on the
soles Of his feet"
What" ! exclaimed.
Eyes, on the soles of his feet. It's
ticklish job, | admit"
Van Scoup entertained us with n long
rigmarolc as to how he had only to find
this double, whom he knew to be in
London, and to produce him in New
York, to have him convicted of an i'm
pudent fraud by which he had abso-
lutely got immense sums of money by
personating Van scoup in several places
in the states.
VI course, never gave the matter
moments consideration. until one NIGHT